Military historian Joshua Ocheja has expressed confidence that the recent security agreement between Turkey and Nigeria will strengthen ongoing efforts to combat terrorism and insecurity in the country.
The defence pact is among the nine bilateral agreements signed in January during President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s state visit to Turkey, aimed at deepening cooperation between both nations in areas including defence and security.
Last month, Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, disclosed that Turkey would train 200 Nigerian special forces personnel under the agreement.
According to Musa, the arrangement followed engagements with his Turkish counterpart, Yasar Guler, as part of broader efforts to reinforce Nigeria’s defence architecture.
In an opinion article published on Sunday, Ocheja described Turkey as a reliable strategic partner with advanced defence capabilities and a reputation for honouring international commitments.
“We stand to benefit from Türkiye’s defence capabilities. The Turks hold a strategic place in Europe and Asia. As a member of NATO, it serves as a vital security buffer between Europe and the Middle East,” Ocheja said.
“From available research, the Turks do not give commitments for the sake of it. They use these commitments to market themselves, and this is why it has continued to rank high in its defence capabilities.
“Türkiye is ranked as the 11th largest exporter of arms and military hardware in the world. This is an expression of the level of commitment that it has displayed over several decades.”
Ocheja noted that Turkey’s longstanding diplomatic relationship with Nigeria, alongside previous cooperation in sectors such as education and healthcare, provides strong indications that the defence partnership would be successful.
Highlighting the role of international military alliances in tackling insecurity, he stated: “I can vouch that this defence pact would succeed.”
He added that strategic military cooperation remains essential in addressing security threats, regardless of their scale or complexity.
