Nigeria has secured a major boost to its military capacity following a new agreement with Türkiye for the training of elite troops, with 200 Special Forces personnel set for immediate deployment.
The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, disclosed this on Saturday while speaking on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum 2026, where he held high-level talks with his Turkish counterpart, Yaşar Güler.
The three-day forum, themed “Mapping Tomorrow, Managing Uncertainties,” has attracted global leaders, diplomats, and policymakers to Antalya, providing a platform for strategic discussions on global security and cooperation.
According to Musa, Türkiye has already approved a training quota for the Nigerian troops, paving the way for their swift deployment.
“We have a Special Forces training agreement. Türkiye has agreed to give us 200 Special Forces trainees, so as soon as I return, we are sending them here for training,” he said.
He added that the personnel would be deployed immediately after completing their training, as part of Nigeria’s broader efforts to strengthen its defence architecture and respond more effectively to evolving security threats.
