Defence minister confirms deployment of 200 troops to Türkiye for training

Nigeria has finalised plans to send 200 Special Forces personnel to Türkiye for advanced military training, the Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), has confirmed.

Musa disclosed this on Saturday during the 5th Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Türkiye, following a meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Yasar Guler.

He said the arrangement forms part of a new phase of defence cooperation between both countries, with the troops expected to be deployed immediately after his return to Nigeria.

“We have a Special Forces training agreement. Türkiye has agreed to give us 200 Special Forces trainees, so as soon as I return, we are sending them here for training,” he said.

The minister added that the partnership would go beyond training, including joint military exercises scheduled for later in the year.

“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,” he said.

Musa also revealed that both countries had agreed to deepen cooperation in defence production and technology transfer, describing Türkiye as a key partner in military development.

He noted that Türkiye’s experience in counterterrorism would be valuable to Nigeria, especially in strengthening its response to asymmetric security threats.

“We are going to partner together so that we have co-production of some of these items,” he added.

The minister further stated that both nations would expand collaboration through training exchanges, equipment production, and shared defence expertise.