Nigeria could soon become a production base for Turkish defence equipment as Turkiye moves to deepen its military partnership with the country, with plans to establish local arms manufacturing facilities and military training centres.
The proposed investments form part of Ankara’s broader strategy to expand its presence in Nigeria, strengthen security cooperation and increase bilateral trade from approximately $2bn to $5bn.
Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria, Mehmet Poroy, disclosed the plans on Monday in Abuja during a press briefing marking 66 years of diplomatic relations between both countries.
According to information gathered by Bzzyer, the proposed defence facilities would mark a shift in Turkiye’s relationship with Nigeria, moving beyond the supply of military hardware towards local production, technical cooperation and capacity development.
Poroy said the initiative would help Nigeria manufacture some of the equipment it currently imports, following agreements reached during President Bola Tinubu’s visit to Turkiye earlier in the year.
The visit, which involved nine Nigerian ministers, resulted in the signing of nine agreements and memoranda of understanding covering different areas of bilateral cooperation.
“We are planning to have some local production unit also in that context, not only selling to Nigeria, the tools, equipment, that arms that it needs, but also the possibility of having local production here in Nigeria,” the ambassador said.
Turkiye to train Nigerian special forces
Beyond defence manufacturing, Ankara is also working towards establishing a military training centre in Nigeria to reduce the need to send Nigerian personnel abroad for specialised training.
Poroy revealed that 200 Nigerian special forces personnel were completing a two-month training programme in Turkiye, with plans to replicate some of the training arrangements locally.
“Actually, 200 Nigerian special forces personnel are in Turkey. They are finalising their two months’ training activity there.
“And after that, as the Honourable Minister of Defence already made it public, we are planning also to have a local training facility here in Nigeria. Not all the military people will be carried to Turkey, but in the presence of some Turkish officers to train them, we will have a continuous training activity for the Nigerian Army,” he said.
The ambassador also offered to share Turkiye’s counterterrorism experience with Nigeria, drawing on his country’s decades-long battle against terrorism.
He said Turkiye had lost more than 40,000 people and spent billions of dollars combating terrorism over the past 40 years.
Poroy stressed that military operations alone could not resolve terrorism, arguing that governments must also address its economic, religious and other underlying dimensions.
“We have lost more than 40,000 people and have spent billions of dollars in our fight against terrorism. So, we know how difficult this is, to tackle all this issue. It’s very complicated, not only a military issue; there are other aspects, economic or religious. So, we are in consultations with the Nigerian side in order to share our expertise on the issue,” he said.
He identified defence cooperation as one of the strongest areas of the relationship, noting that Nigeria’s military already operates Turkish-made attack helicopters and drones in security operations, particularly in the northern part of the country.
Nigeria-Turkiye trade target rises to $5bn
On the economic front, Ankara wants to increase trade with Nigeria to $5bn, up from the current estimated $2bn, including oil and gas transactions.
Poroy described the existing trade volume as relatively small compared with Nigeria’s economic size and commercial opportunities.
“The instruction is the goal is to have $5bn bilateral trade. So far, it is around $2bn, including oil and gas. When you see the huge Nigerian economy, $2bn is not something so important,” he said.
He disclosed that Turkiye’s total trade with African countries stood at approximately $37bn, while its investments across the continent exceeded $10bn.
However, Turkish investments in Nigeria remained below $1bn, a gap the ambassador said both countries needed to address.
To attract more Turkish businesses, Poroy visited the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry alongside Turkiye’s Commercial Counsellor to explore opportunities for expanding trade and investment.
He said the embassy had also engaged business organisations in Kano, Kaduna and Lagos as part of efforts to strengthen commercial relationships.
The ambassador added that Turkiye was making visa procedures easier for Nigerian businesspeople to encourage direct engagement between companies in both countries.
“From our side, we also facilitate the visa procedures for businesspeople because without B2B contact, you cannot increase all these relations,” he said.
Turkish organisations spend $5m on Nigerian humanitarian support
Turkiye is also expanding its humanitarian activities in Nigeria, particularly in communities affected by displacement and insecurity.
Poroy disclosed that the Turkish Government had provided food assistance 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 interventions in Nigeria within the last year.
The interventions included food donations and meat distribution during Ramadan and Eid-el-Adha.
“Last year, this foundation and other NGOs in total, I’m talking about the last year, they spent $5m for the donation or the sacrifices, you know, during the Ramadan or after Eid-el-Adha, for meat. They were distributing meat to the people in need,” he said.
Poroy said his government intended to sustain the interventions and was considering a more structured arrangement with Nigerian authorities to improve coordination and delivery.
Turkiye traces diplomatic ties with Nigeria to 16th century
The ambassador also highlighted the historical connections between both countries, tracing their relationship to the 16th century, when the Ottoman Empire maintained diplomatic correspondence with the Kanem-Borno Sultanate.
According to Poroy, documents recovered from Ottoman archives showed that the Ottoman Sultan recognised the sovereignty of the Kanem-Borno Sultanate and instructed officials to treat its representatives as friends.
He said the Ottoman authorities also directed officials to protect delegations travelling to Istanbul, including those undertaking religious pilgrimages.
Poroy cited the Shitta-Bey Mosque in Lagos as another example of the historical relationship, explaining that the Ottoman Sultan sent a representative to its opening ceremony towards the end of the 19th century and conferred the title of Bey on its owner, Shitta.
He clarified that November 9, 1960, marked the elevation of diplomatic relations between Nigeria and Turkiye to ambassadorial level, shortly after Nigeria gained independence on October 1, 1960.
Turkiye had, however, established a Consulate-General in Lagos on April 19, 1959, while Nigeria was still under British colonial administration. The country’s first Turkish ambassador arrived in 1962.
Poroy described Nigeria as a strategic partner because of its influence on security, stability and economic development in West Africa and across the continent.
He also called for stronger cultural cooperation, announcing that an art exhibition titled In Nature, featuring works by his wife, would open at the Atrium Art Gallery of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on November 20.
He said both countries needed to complement their growing defence and economic relationships with deeper cultural exchanges.
What the proposed Turkish defence investment means for Nigeria
The proposed Turkish defence factories could represent a significant opportunity for Nigeria to strengthen its domestic defence industry, reduce dependence on imported military equipment and develop technical expertise.
However, the real value of the proposed investment will depend on how much production takes place locally, the extent of technology transfer and whether Nigerian engineers and defence companies participate meaningfully in the projects.
For Nigeria, establishing factories alone would not guarantee defence independence. The country would need clear arrangements covering local component sourcing, maintenance, research and development, workforce training and long-term manufacturing capacity.
The proposed military training centre could also reduce the cost and logistical demands of sending personnel overseas, while allowing Nigerian forces to receive more consistent specialised training.
On the trade front, the $5bn target presents another challenge. Moving from approximately $2bn to $5bn will require more than diplomatic engagements and business visits. Improved access to financing, predictable trade policies, easier business procedures and stronger private-sector partnerships will be essential.
Ultimately, the proposed defence and commercial agreements will be judged not by the number of memoranda signed, but by the factories established, jobs created, investments delivered and measurable improvements in Nigeria’s security and industrial capacity.
