By Wasila Yakubu
Türkiye is considering the establishment of defence manufacturing facilities and military training centres in Nigeria as part of a broader partnership aimed at strengthening security cooperation and expanding bilateral trade to $5bn.
Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria, Mehmet Poroy, disclosed the plans on Monday in Abuja during a briefing marking 66 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
He explained that the proposed facilities would allow Türkiye to support Nigeria’s domestic defence industry rather than limit cooperation to the supply of military hardware.
According to Poroy, the initiative is part of efforts to implement agreements reached during President Bola Tinubu’s visit to Türkiye earlier this year, which involved nine Nigerian ministers and produced nine agreements and memoranda of understanding.
He said both countries were exploring opportunities for local production of military equipment to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to address its security challenges.
On military training, the ambassador revealed that 200 Nigerian special forces personnel were undergoing a two-month training programme in Türkiye.
He added that discussions were also underway to establish a training centre in Nigeria, where Turkish military instructors could regularly train Nigerian soldiers without requiring all personnel to travel abroad.
Poroy said Türkiye was prepared to share its experience in tackling terrorism, drawing on its decades-long battle against the threat.
He disclosed that his country had lost more than 40,000 people and spent billions of dollars in its fight against terrorism, stressing that the problem required a combination of military, economic and religious interventions.
He noted that security consultations between both countries were ongoing to identify areas where Türkiye’s experience could support Nigeria’s counterterrorism efforts.
The ambassador also identified defence cooperation as an increasingly important part of the relationship, pointing out that the Nigerian military already operates Turkish-made attack helicopters and drones in efforts to combat insecurity, particularly in northern Nigeria.
Beyond security, Türkiye is seeking to increase trade with Nigeria from approximately $2bn to $5bn, including transactions in the oil and gas sector.
Poroy described the current trade volume as far below what could be achieved, considering the size of Nigeria’s economy and its commercial opportunities.
He disclosed that Turkish investments across Africa had exceeded $10bn, while investments in Nigeria remained below $1bn, indicating considerable room for expansion.
To attract more Turkish businesses, the ambassador said he and the country's commercial counsellor had engaged the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Monday.
Similar discussions had also taken place with business organisations in Kano, Kaduna and Lagos.
He added that the Turkish Embassy was working to simplify visa procedures for Nigerian businesspeople, explaining that stronger direct engagement between companies in both countries would be essential to achieving the trade target.
The partnership also extends to humanitarian assistance. Poroy disclosed that the Turkish Government had provided food support to 3,000 internally displaced families in Adamawa State.
He further revealed that Turkish non-governmental organisations, including the Turkish Religious Affairs Foundation, spent approximately $5m on humanitarian activities.
Wasila Yakubu
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