Nigeria’s growing defence engagement with Türkiye reflects a deliberate strategic recalibration aimed at strengthening counterterrorism capacity, diversifying security partnerships and addressing the expanding Sahel threat through intelligence cooperation, technology transfer and defence-industrial collaboration.
Zig Diaries Defence
Date: Wednesday, 28 January 2026
Time: 19:20 WAT
Location: 📍 Abuja, Nigeria
This
assessment was offered during an interview by Dr. Dickson Orji, a diplomacy,
international security and disarmament expert, who situates the President’s
ongoing visit to Türkiye within Nigeria’s urgent need to
learn from countries with practical experience in combating terrorism and
managing complex militant networks.
Dr. Orji, a former Programme Manager of the Presidential Committee on Small Arms and Light Weapons and a current partner with the Office of the National Centre for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons, while speaking to Security and Defence Correspondent Nokai Origin noted that Türkiye’s geography and long-standing confrontation with terrorist organisations provide valuable operational lessons for Nigeria.
He explained
that Ankara’s experience in dealing with groups such as ISIS positions it as a
credible peer for sustained defence and intelligence dialogue rather than
episodic diplomatic engagement.
According to him, the composition of Nigeria’s delegation, led by the National Security Adviser and including the Minister of Defence, the Director General of the National Intelligence Agency and the Chairman of the House Committee on Defence, underscores the seriousness of the mission and signals an intention to penetrate multiple layers of Turkey’s defence ecosystem.
He argued that such a
high-powered delegation reflects Nigeria’s interest in understanding what
works, what does not and how adaptable Türkiye counterterrorism methodologies are to Nigeria’s security
realities.
Dr. Orji stressed that no counterterrorism model is universally transferable, noting that while Nigeria and Türkiye face different internal dynamics, both contend with ideologically driven militant groups whose operational patterns share similarities.
He stressed that Türkiye’s indigenous defence industry, spanning fighter aircraft,
helicopters, drones, ammunition and small arms production, presents Nigeria
with alternatives outside its traditional defence supply networks.
He further linked the security discussions to broader economic interests, pointing out that Türkiye’s reported intention to scale investments in Nigeria from approximately two billion dollars to five billion dollars makes stability a shared concern.
In this context, he described insecurity in the Sahel as both a
regional and transnational threat, facilitating arms trafficking, human
trafficking and extremist movement that directly undermine Nigeria’s internal
security and foreign investment climate.
Dr. Orji explained that Türkiye’s interest in supporting Nigeria’s security efforts is inseparable from protecting its economic footprint, noting that states ultimately pursue interest-driven diplomacy even within friendly bilateral relationships.
He added that Nigeria’s central role in West Africa
places it at the heart of any credible regional stabilisation strategy, making
external security cooperation consequential beyond national borders.
While acknowledging the promise of the engagement, Dr. Orji cautioned that bilateral defence agreements often falter due to policy discontinuity, legislative exclusion and shifting geopolitical interests. He observed that successive administrations sometimes abandon inherited frameworks, while failure to involve the legislature during negotiations complicates domestication and long-term implementation of agreements.
On domestic security priorities, he identified intelligence funding and technological deployment as Nigeria’s most pressing gaps. He argued that porous borders, stretching thousands of kilometres, cannot be effectively secured through manpower alone and require sustained investment in surveillance technology, drones and real-time border monitoring systems.
He also called for
continuous capacity-building within security agencies, warning that static
training models cannot keep pace with evolving criminal and terrorist tactics.
Dr. Orji concluded that Nigeria’s engagement with Türkiye should translate into durable institutional partnerships rather than symbolic diplomacy, stressing that intelligence-led operations, technological superiority and policy continuity remain central to winning the long fight against insecurity.
🏷️ Tags: Nigeria– Türkiye Relations, Counterterrorism, Defence Diplomacy, Sahel Security, Intelligence Cooperation, Small Arms Control
#ZigDiaries #ZigDiariesDefence #NigeriaSecurity # TürkiyeNigeria #CounterTerrorism #SahelCrisis #DefencePolicy
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