Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
Türkiye is planning to establish defence manufacturing facilities and military training centres in Nigeria as part of efforts to deepen security cooperation and increase bilateral trade from approximately $2bn to $5bn.
The Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria, Mehmet Poroy, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja during a press briefing marking 66 years of diplomatic relations between both countries.
Poroy said the proposed facilities would enable Türkiye to expand its defence partnership with Nigeria beyond supplying military equipment to include local production of weapons and other security equipment.
“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,” he said.
The ambassador explained that the initiative was part of efforts to implement agreements reached during President Bola Tinubu’s visit to Türkiye earlier in the year. The visit, which involved nine Nigerian ministers, resulted in the signing of nine agreements and memoranda of understanding.
On military cooperation, Poroy disclosed that 200 Nigerian special forces personnel were undergoing a two-month training programme in Türkiye, with plans underway to establish a military training facility in Nigeria to provide continuous capacity development for Nigerian troops.
“Actually, 200 Nigerian special forces personnel are in Turkey. They are finalising their two months’ training activity there,” he said.
He added, “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.”
Poroy also offered to share Türkiye’s experience in combating terrorism, noting that his country had lost more than 40,000 people and spent billions of dollars during its four-decade fight against the menace.
He said tackling terrorism required a comprehensive approach that addressed its military, economic and religious dimensions, adding that consultations were ongoing between both countries on sharing expertise.
“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.
The envoy identified defence as a major pillar of bilateral relations, noting that the Nigerian military was already deploying Turkish attack helicopters and drones in operations against insecurity, particularly in northern Nigeria.
On economic relations, Poroy said both countries were targeting $5bn in annual bilateral trade, compared with the current volume of approximately $2bn, including oil and gas transactions.
He described the existing trade figure as insufficient given Nigeria’s economic potential, noting that Türkiye’s total trade with African countries stood at approximately $37bn.
“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.
Poroy further disclosed that Turkish investments across Africa exceeded $10bn, while investments in Nigeria remained below $1bn. He said attracting more Turkish investors into Nigeria was necessary to strengthen economic cooperation.
As part of efforts to expand commercial relations, the ambassador said he visited the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry alongside Türkiye’s Commercial Counsellor to explore investment opportunities. He added that similar engagements had taken place with chambers of commerce in Kano, Kaduna and Lagos.
He also disclosed that the Turkish Embassy was facilitating visa procedures for Nigerian businesspeople to encourage direct engagement between businesses 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.
Beyond defence and trade, Poroy highlighted Türkiye’s humanitarian contributions to Nigeria, disclosing that the Turkish Government had provided food assistance to 3,000 internally displaced families in Adamawa State.
He added that Turkish non-governmental organisations, including the Turkish Religious Affairs Foundation, spent approximately $5m on humanitarian interventions in Nigeria within the previous year, particularly food donations and meat distribution during Ramadan and Eid-el-Adha.
Poroy said Türkiye intended to sustain its humanitarian assistance, potentially through a more structured arrangement with Nigerian authorities to improve coordination and delivery.
Tracing the historical relationship between both countries, the ambassador said diplomatic connections dated back to the 16th century, when the Ottoman Empire maintained correspondence with the Kanem-Borno Sultanate.
He also cited the Shitta-Bey Mosque in Lagos as evidence of the historical relationship, noting that the Ottoman Sultan sent a representative to its inauguration towards the end of the 19th century and conferred the title of Bey on its owner, Shitta.
Poroy explained that November 9, 1960, marked the establishment of diplomatic relations between Türkiye and Nigeria at ambassadorial level, following Nigeria’s independence on October 1 of the same year. Türkiye had earlier established a Consulate-General in Lagos on April 19, 1959, while its first ambassador arrived in Nigeria in 1962.
The ambassador described Nigeria as a strategic partner in promoting security, stability and economic development in West Africa and across the continent. He also announced an art exhibition titled In Nature, featuring works by his wife, scheduled to open at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Atrium Art Gallery on November 20, as part of efforts to strengthen cultural exchanges between both countries.
