By Augustine Ehikioya
The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, has accompanied President Bola Tinubu, and the Minister of Defence (HMOD), General Christopher Gwabin Musa (Rtd), on a high-level official working visit to Ankara, Republic of Türkiye.
The strategic visit, which commenced on 26 January, 2026, according to a statement by Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, Director of Public Relations and Information, NAF Headquarters, and made available to Security Watch Africa (SWA), underscored the resolve of the Federal Government to proactively strengthen Nigeria’s defence posture, deepen international partnerships, and accelerate defence modernisation in line with the evolving security environment.
At the diplomatic level, President Tinubu engaged his Turkish counterpart President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in focused bilateral discussions aimed at translating shared interests into tangible outcomes.
“These engagements culminated in the signing of nine (9) Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) spanning defence, trade, education, media, technology, and allied sectors.
“The agreements mark a significant step toward actionable cooperation, reinforcing 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 visit, the Honourable Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa, noted that the engagements reflect the President’s clear directive to decisively confront Nigeria’s security challenges.
According to him, “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.”
In furtherance of defence and air power cooperation, the CAS and the HMOD visited key pillars of Türkiye’s defence industry, ASELSAN, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), and HAVELSAN, operating under the Secretariat of Defence of Türkiye, alongside several high-level bilateral defence meetings.
The engagements, the statement said, enabled the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to review existing procurement arrangements focusing on optimising the procurement programmes, enhancing sustainment and maintenance support, expanding training opportunities, advancing research and development, and deepening indigenous capacity building for the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN).
“The visit holds direct operational benefits to enhance NAF ongoing operational efforts, particularly in the fight against terrorism, banditry, insurgency, and other asymmetric threats. The CAS objectives were geared towards strengthening access to advanced aerospace technologies, mission-support systems, and sustainment solutions.
“The engagements are expected to further enhance intelligence, surveillance, precision engagement, and close air support capabilities critical to joint operations across theatres. These outcomes align squarely with the CAS’s mission objective of building a more agile, lethal, and technology-driven air force.”
Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke reaffirmed the NAF’s unwavering commitment to national security, stating 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 the President, the Ministry of Defence, and the Armed Forces will continue to translate into improved security, enabling economic growth, stability, and sustainable national development.
