Nigeria, Türkiye Seal Deal to Train 200 Elite Special Forces Troops

Nigeria, Türkiye Seal Deal to Train 200 Elite Special Forces Troops

The Minister of Defence, retired Gen. Christopher Musa, has announced that Nigeria and the Republic of Türkiye have reached an agreement for the immediate training of 200 Nigerian Special Forces personnel in Türkiye.

Musa disclosed this during an interview on the sidelines of the 5th Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF2026) held in Antalya, Türkiye, after bilateral discussions with his Turkish counterpart, Yasar Guler.

The high-level forum, themed “Mapping Tomorrow, Managing Uncertainties,” brought together world leaders, defence ministers, diplomats, and security experts from about 150 countries to discuss global security, politics, and economic cooperation.

According to the minister, the agreement will see 200 Nigerian Special Forces personnel deployed to Türkiye for advanced military training as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s counter-terrorism and internal security operations.

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

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He added that both countries also agreed to expand cooperation through joint military exercises, with the first expected to take place later in the year.

Musa further revealed that discussions also covered joint defence equipment production and military technology transfer, aimed at boosting Nigeria’s local defence capabilities.

He noted that Türkiye’s advancement in defence manufacturing presents an opportunity for Nigeria to deepen its defence industrial development through partnership and knowledge exchange.

“Türkiye has improved dramatically with regard to the production of military hardware. Nigeria is still developing, and we have agreed to partner together so that we have co-production of some of these items,” he said.

The Defence Minister also highlighted the shared security challenges between both countries, noting that while Nigeria has battled insurgency and asymmetric warfare for about 17 years, Türkiye has confronted terrorism for over four decades.

According to him, the collaboration will extend beyond training to include officer exchanges, joint operations, and capacity building in defence production.

“Because of that, we will move into training, production and improving on our defence industrial production, and exchange of officers and soldiers,” he added.

The Antalya Diplomacy Forum featured panel discussions on global security, economic stability, environmental challenges, and emerging technologies, with participation from over 20 heads of state and government, 40 foreign ministers, and thousands of delegates.

Nigeria, Türkiye Seal Deal to Train 200 Elite Special Forces Troops