Nigeria and Türkiye have finalized a defense pact centered on establishing a drone manufacturing plant in Nigeria, as bilateral talks between Presidents Bola Tinubu and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan produced a technology-focused agreement.
The deal includes a technology transfer clause and training for Nigerian engineers in Ankara, positioning Nigeria to move from being a buyer of defense hardware to a regional producer of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Officials say the manufacturing hub could create thousands of skilled jobs while enhancing internal security capacity through local maintenance, assembly, and eventual production.
Echotitbits take: This is a major takeaway from Tinubu’s Türkiye engagement. Moving from buying drones to manufacturing locally can cut long-run security costs and may position Nigeria as a drone exporter to other African markets—if the tech transfer is real and sustained.
Source: The Nation – https://thenationonlineng.net/nigeria-turkey-deepen-defence-ties-as-dicon-d7g-unlocks-advanced-military-manufacturing/ 2026-01-27
Photo Credit: The Nation
