Türkiye bets big on Nigeria in drive toward $5 billion trade target Ankara’s counterterrorism offer

Türkiye is moving to deepen its engagement with the African continent, launching a fresh push to broaden cooperation with one of Africa’s largest economies. This week in Ankara, the leaders of Türkiye and Nigeria signed a wide range of agreements spanning counterterrorism, military training and intelligence, as well as industry, trade and investment, with both sides aiming to raise bilateral trade to as much as $5 billion.

Speaking to reporters at a joint press conference after talks with Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the Presidential Complex, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan described Nigeria as a strategic partner, noting close coordination on key issues affecting the Islamic world, including Palestine, through platforms such as the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the D-8, as Turkish and Nigerian media reported.

“We stand with the brotherly people of Nigeria in their fight against terrorism. We reviewed opportunities for closer cooperation in military training and intelligence,” Erdoğan said.

He added that the leaders also assessed cooperation in trade, investment, education, energy and the defence industry, recalling that his 2021 visit to Nigeria helped lay the foundation for expanding bilateral ties.

Following both one-on-one and delegation-level meetings, the two countries signed nine agreements covering diplomacy, education, media, women’s affairs, halal accreditation, diaspora cooperation and military collaboration.

These included a military cooperation protocol, a memorandum on media and communication, an agreement establishing the Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO), and memorandums of understanding between the diplomacy academies of the two foreign ministries.

Construction, energy and defence anchor bilateral ties

Trade between Türkiye and Nigeria reached $688.4 million in the first 11 months of 2025. When energy trade is included, Nigeria became Türkiye’s largest trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa last year.

In infrastructure, Turkish construction companies — whose global footprint is second only to China — have expressed renewed interest in Nigeria’s transport and housing projects. President Tinubu underscored Nigeria’s readiness to offer an enabling environment for Turkish investors, particularly in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and urban renewal initiatives.

Turkish firms are active across Nigeria’s construction, energy, textile and manufacturing sectors. More than 50 Turkish-owned companies have invested around $400 million in the country, while the total value of projects carried out by Turkish contractors in Nigeria is approaching $3 billion.

Defence industry cooperation featured prominently in the talks. Türkiye has become a key supplier of maritime and aerial surveillance technology to the Nigerian Armed Forces. The leaders reviewed ongoing projects, including the delivery of Turkish-made attack helicopters and offshore patrol vessels aimed at securing Nigeria’s Gulf of Guinea waters. Defence ties have accelerated in recent years, with the Nigerian Air Force purchasing Turkish drones and six ATAK T129 attack helicopters.

Türkiye and Nigeria established diplomatic relations in 1960 and have steadily expanded cooperation, especially in security and the defence industry, as Abuja intensifies its fight against militant groups. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reaffirmed Türkiye’s support for Nigeria’s fight against terrorism, with a particular focus on growing security threats in the Sahel region.

“Terrorist organisations emerging, particularly in Africa’s Sahel region, unfortunately, pose a threat to the peace of the entire continent,” Erdoğan said. “We stand by the friendly people of Nigeria in their fight against terrorism under the leadership of President Tinubu.”

The Turkish president added that the two leaders discussed ways to deepen cooperation in military training and intelligence sharing, underscoring Ankara’s willingness to share its counter-terrorism experience. Erdoğan noted that Türkiye has battled insurgency within its own borders for decades, particularly against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), and is prepared to contribute that expertise to Nigeria’s security efforts.

Energy security formed the third pillar of the high-level discussions. Nigeria, a major exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG), remains an important supplier to Türkiye’s energy market. At the same time, Ankara is seeking to export its manufacturing expertise to support Nigeria’s “Renewed Hope” agenda, which prioritises domestic production.

President Tinubu said the partnership would benefit from “win-win” investments, where Turkish technology is combined with Nigerian raw materials and human capital. He added that this synergy is expected to create jobs and reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported finished goods.

By Nazrin Sadigova