Prosper Okoye
Nigeria’s defence minister has said the United States cannot pressure the government into cancelling its new military partnership with Turkey, as the country prepares to receive defence equipment and technology from Ankara in the coming weeks.
General Christopher Musa, a former chief of defence staff said that Nigeria remains a non-aligned country and is free to work with any partner that serves its national interest.
“Nigeria is now a non-aligned nation. Once you are friendly to us, we can relate directly,” he said. “That is why we deal with China, Türkiye and the United States. Isolating yourself with just one group is not the best for anybody.”
The comments come amid concerns in Washington that Nigeria’s expanding defence ties with Turkey could affect its long-standing military cooperation with the US, which has supported Nigeria’s fight against armed groups.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelBut General Musa said maintaining multiple defence partnerships gives Nigeria greater strategic leverage, pointing to Egypt as a country that works with several global powers at the same time.
He confirmed that military equipment from Turkey would start arriving soon, following defence agreements signed during President Bola Tinubu’s visit to Ankara last week.
“Some of them are already ready. We are working on the paperwork now. The signing has been done, and we will proceed with discussions, training and capacity building,” he said.
Nigeria and Turkey signed nine bilateral agreements covering defence, energy, trade, media, education and agriculture, with both governments aiming to raise trade between the two countries from about $2bn to $5bn.
The defence deals include military training, intelligence cooperation and defence industry partnerships, which could also support local production of military equipment in Nigeria.
General Musa said the goal was not just to buy weapons but to develop Nigeria’s defence industry through technology transfer and joint manufacturing.
“They can come here, produce the same standard equipment they have in Türkiye, transfer the technology, and make it Nigerian-owned,” he said.
The defence minister also said the partnership would strengthen Nigeria’s internal security at a time when the country is facing serious security challenges.
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In the same interview, he confirmed that security agencies recently stopped what he described as a plot to remove President Tinubu from office.
“I was to be arrested by the coup plotters or killed if I resisted,” he said.
He did not give further details but said the authorities had taken steps to secure the government and prevent any breakdown of constitutional order.
Prosper Okoye is a Correspondent and Research Writer at Prime Business Africa, a Nigerian journalist with experience in development reporting, public affairs, and policy-focused storytelling across Africa
