The Federal Government has secured a commitment from the Republic of Türkiye to train 200 Nigerian Special Forces personnel, marking a significant boost in bilateral defence cooperation between both nations.
The Minister of Defence, retired Gen. Christopher Musa, disclosed this in an interview on the sidelines of the 5th Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF2026) in Antalya, Türkiye, on Saturday, following discussions with his Turkish counterpart, Yaşar Güler.
The three-day forum, themed “Mapping Tomorrow, Managing Uncertainties,” which started on Friday, is being attended by world leaders, ministers, and diplomats from about 150 countries.
Training Quota Allocated
The minister explained that following the agreement, Türkiye had allocated a training quota of 200 personnel from Nigeria’s Special Forces, who will be immediately deployed upon his return to Nigeria.
“We have a Special Forces training agreement. Türkiye has agreed to give us 200 Special Forces training, so as soon as I return, we are sending them here for training,” Musa said.
He added that the partnership would extend beyond the immediate training programme.
“We will continue to do a lot. There will be exercises. The first exercise is coming up later in the year. So, in so many areas of defence we are going to work together,” the minister stated.
Joint Military Production Agreed
Beyond the training agreement, Musa also disclosed that Nigeria and Türkiye had both agreed on joint defence equipment production and the transfer of military technology.
The minister noted that Türkiye has significantly advanced in the production of military hardware, while Nigeria is still developing its domestic capacity.
“Nigeria is still developing, and we have agreed that we are going to partner together so that we have a co-production of some of these items,” he said.
Historical Ties and Shared Experience
Musa described Türkiye as a longstanding partner, saying, “since 1960 Türkiye has been like family to Nigeria.”
According to him, Türkiye possesses extensive defence experience from which Nigeria could benefit through shared learning.
The minister drew parallels between the security challenges facing both nations, noting that while Nigeria has been fighting asymmetric warfare against insurgency for about 17 years, Türkiye has had a similar experience combating terrorism for four decades.
“Because of that, we will move into training, production and improving on our defence, industrial production, and exchange of officers and soldiers,” Musa said.
About the Forum
The Antalya Diplomacy Forum, now in its fifth edition, features panel discussions and sessions covering a wide range of topics shaped by contemporary global defence, security, political, economic, environmental, and technological dynamics.
Participants from about 150 countries, including 20 heads of state and government, 40 foreign ministers, 60 invited foreign media, and diplomats, among others, are attending the event.
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