Nigeria’s New Turkiye Deal Sparks Questions—Defence Minister Clears Air On US Relationship

Some observers have expressed worries that Nigeria’s defence cooperation with Türkiye might create tension with Washington, particularly given the continued military assistance Nigeria receives from the US.

But during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Musa stressed that Nigeria has the right to engage with multiple international allies in pursuit of its national interests.

He explained that Nigeria operates as a non-aligned country, meaning it can build partnerships with any friendly nation.

“Nigeria is now a non-aligned nation, which means we can work with everyone. If a country is friendly to us, then we are friends and can relate directly.

“That is why we can engage with China, Türkiye, and the United States. Limiting yourself to only one bloc is not beneficial to anyone,” he said.

Musa added that maintaining relationships with diverse defence partners gives Nigeria greater strategic advantage, pointing to Egypt as an example of a nation that benefits from support from several global powers.

“In Egypt, you can see they receive backing from different countries. It is important to maintain that leverage in order to keep moving forward,” he noted.

The minister also revealed that military equipment and technology from Türkiye would soon begin arriving in Nigeria following the signing of defence agreements between both nations.

“Very soon. Some are already prepared. We are currently completing the paperwork. The signing has been finalized, and we will move forward with discussions, training, and capacity building.

“Some of these are urgent interventions that will be deployed as quickly as possible,” he stated.

The former Chief of Defence Staff clarified that the agreements extend beyond purchasing equipment, placing strong emphasis on military education, joint training programmes, and defence industry collaboration.

“What we signed is essentially a formal commitment to our friendship and military cooperation. It includes military education, officer exchanges, and troop training. They will send personnel here, and we will send ours there,” he explained.

Musa further highlighted Nigeria’s interest in learning from Türkiye’s defence manufacturing achievements, noting that the partnership would support technology transfer and local production.

“In defence industry cooperation, we have not done much manufacturing before, and we want to replicate what they have achieved.

“They can establish production here, deliver the same standard of equipment as in Türkiye, transfer the technology, and make it Nigerian-owned,” he said.

According to the minister, the collaboration is expected to boost Nigeria’s internal security framework, strengthen defence capacity, and improve access to modern military technology.

Nigeria and Türkiye signed nine bilateral agreements on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, in Ankara during President Bola Tinubu’s state visit.