By Nkechi Eze
Nigeria has taken another decisive step toward strengthening its defence posture and accelerating military modernisation as the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, accompanied President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, and the Honourable Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, on a high-level official working visit to Ankara, Republic of Türkiye.
The strategic visit, which commenced on January 26, 2026, underscores the Federal Government’s resolve to proactively reinforce Nigeria’s national security architecture, deepen international defence partnerships, and drive modernisation of the Armed Forces in line with the evolving and complex security environment.
In an official statement signed by the Director of Public Relations and Information, Nigerian Air Force, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, the visit was described as a carefully coordinated diplomatic and defence engagement designed to translate shared interests between Nigeria and Türkiye into practical, high-impact outcomes.
At the diplomatic level, President Tinubu held focused bilateral discussions with the President of the Republic of Türkiye, culminating in the signing of nine Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) covering defence, trade, education, media, technology, and other allied sectors. The agreements represent a major leap toward actionable cooperation, expanding Nigeria’s access to advanced technologies, structured skills transfer, and institutional frameworks that support long-term national security and development objectives.
Speaking on the significance of the engagements, the Honourable Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, said the visit reflects President Tinubu’s clear directive to decisively confront Nigeria’s security challenges through practical, result-oriented partnerships.
“This administration is committed to equipping the Armed Forces with the right capabilities, partnerships, and technologies required to defeat terrorism, banditry, and other threats to our national stability. Our engagements in Türkiye are practical steps toward strengthening our operational effectiveness and self-reliance,” the Minister stated.
In furtherance of defence and air power cooperation, the CAS and the HMOD undertook visits to major pillars of Türkiye’s defence industry, including ASELSAN, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), and HAVELSAN, all operating under the Secretariat of Defence of Türkiye. These visits were complemented by several high-level bilateral defence meetings.
During the engagements, the Nigerian Air Force reviewed existing procurement arrangements with a focus on optimising acquisition programmes, strengthening sustainment and maintenance support, expanding training opportunities, advancing research and development, and deepening indigenous capacity building for the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
The outcomes of the visit hold direct operational benefits for ongoing NAF operations, particularly in the fight against terrorism, banditry, insurgency, and other asymmetric threats. The CAS’s objectives were geared toward strengthening access to advanced aerospace technologies, mission-support systems, and sustainment solutions capable of enhancing intelligence, surveillance, precision engagement, and close air support for joint operations across multiple theatres.
These engagements, the statement noted, align squarely with the CAS’s mission objective of building a more agile, lethal, and technology-driven air force capable of meeting present and future security challenges.
Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke reaffirmed the Nigerian Air Force’s unwavering commitment to national security, declaring that “the Nigerian Air Force remains resolute in delivering smarter air power for safer communities. This strategic engagement reinforces our capacity to support ground forces more effectively, dominate the air domain, and decisively degrade threats confronting our nation.”
He assured Nigerians that the combined resolve of President Tinubu, the Ministry of Defence, and the Armed Forces will continue to translate into improved security nationwide, creating an enabling environment for economic growth, stability, and sustainable national development.
