The Abuja-Kaduna highway, connecting Nigeria's capital to the one of the biggest cities in the north, was meant to be as much a symbol of the country's infrastructural roadmap as a lifeline for Africa's most populous nation.

Instead, this 160km stretch has become a focal point in Nigeria's battle against the pervasive issue of kidnapping for ransom along major highways.

Turkish-made BAHA drones now patrol overhead, while armoured YORUK 4X4 trucks provide security along the route. It's all part of Türkiye and Nigeria's strengthening defence partnership, reflected in a multi-million-dollar project to integrate Turkish expertise and equipment into the strategy to secure the artery.

In a way, it also represents a significant shift in how Nigeria – and much of West Africa – approaches their internal security crises.

Türkiye's defence exports to Africa surged from US $82.9 million in 2020 to $460.6 million by 2021, marking a five-fold increase that signals the continent's growing appetite for Turkish military hardware, according to an analysis by Anadolu news agency.

The trend goes beyond competitive pricing. Unlike Western suppliers who often impose conditions on arms sales and their use, Türkiye offers what analysts call a "no-strings-attached" policy, allowing African nations to maintain sovereignty over their security decisions.

Nigeria's 2024 acquisition of six T-129 ATAK helicopters from Turkish manufacturer TAI represents just one piece of a much larger pie. Türkiye has signed military cooperation agreements with over 20 African countries, backed by 44 embassies across the continent – up from just 12 in 2002.

"The minister of defence of Türkiye has promised to give us slots so that some of our military officials can visit the country for training, particularly in aerospace, intelligence equipment, and building capacity within the Nigerian army," Nigeria's Minister of State for Defence Bello Muhammad Matawalle, tells TRT Afrika.

Matawalle, who was in Istanbul for the 17th International Defence Industry Fair 2025 from July 22 to 27, believes the security collaboration with Türkiye is a turning point in Nigeria's fight against terrorism, banditry and other forms of violence.

A nation bleeding

In the north, terrorist outfits Boko Haram and Daesh have been perpetrating violence for 15 years, while bandits have turned kidnapping into an industry.

Climate change has intensified farmer-herder conflicts that now spread from northern states deep into the south, as the scramble for dwindling resources turns deadlier.

In the southeast, the separatist group Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN) labelled as terrorists by the government, are waging war, paralysing economic activity through violence and intimidation.

Nigeria has been ramping up military spending year after year, but the traditional playbook has not given the desired results yet. Türkiye is now aiming to make a difference.

Turkish technology

Ankara-based defence firm Havelsan supplies BAHA autonomous sub-cloud UAVs with vertical take-off and landing capabilities that promise enhanced mission flexibility and operational performance.

STM, one of the defence equipment contractors of the Turkish armed forces, exports mini-spotter unmanned aerial systems called Togan.

Armoured 4x4 trucks come from Nurol Makina, while Asisguard provides components of its Songar armed drones.

Around ten additional Turkish subcontractors supplement the lengthening defence equipment chain, which Matawalle describes as "rewarding cooperation".

The Türkiye-Nigeria partnership doesn't exist in isolation. Across the Sahel, Turkish influence is expanding rapidly, offering alternatives to bilateral engagements with Western countries that often come at a heavy price for African countries.

In Niger, Turkish envoy Mustafa Turker Ari was quoted by Anadolu news agency as saying that his country was financing the G5 Sahel counter-terrorism force – a joint institutional framework involving Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger.

Türkiye's increased involvement signals a clear commitment to regional stability beyond bilateral arrangements.

On the Abuja-Kaduna highway, the integration of Turkish equipment into Nigeria’s security matrix represents more than technology transfer. It also reflects a shift in how African nations now approach international partnerships, seeking allies who cooperate without condescension.

Nigeria believes the security partnership with Türkiye offers a different equation for an old problem, hoping it will turn the tide.

However, Matawalle emphasises that technology alone won't solve Nigeria's security crisis, calling for greater domestic collaboration, particularly intelligence gathering from communities in the affected regions, where criminals and terrorists often embed within the civilian populations to evade detection by the security forces.

(This article was first published in TRT Afrika)