Nigeria, Türkiye Seal Deal to Train 200 Special Forces — Defence Minister

Nigeria and Türkiye have agreed on the immediate training of 200 Nigerian Special Forces personnel as part of a strengthened defence partnership, according to Defence Minister Christopher Musa.

Speaking at the 5th Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Türkiye, Musa said the agreement followed talks with Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler.

“We have a Special Forces training agreement… Türkiye has agreed to provide us with 200 Special Forces trainee slots,” he said, adding that deployment would begin as soon as he returns to Nigeria.

He noted that the collaboration would also include joint military exercises and expanded defence cooperation.

“There will be exercises… in so many areas of defence, we are going to work together,” Musa stated.

Beyond training, both countries have agreed to explore joint production of defence equipment and military technology transfer.

According to Musa, Türkiye’s decades-long experience in combating terrorism and producing military hardware makes it a valuable partner for Nigeria, which has faced insurgency challenges for about 17 years.

“Because of that, we will move into training, production, and improving on our defence industrial capacity,” he said.

He added that Nigeria and Türkiye share a long-standing relationship, describing the partnership as one that continues to grow across strategic sectors.

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