Nigerian-Turkey Relations: An Examination Of Challenges And Prospects For Viable Strategic Economic Partnership

Abstract

This work seeks to examine critical aspects of the diplomatic relations between Nigeria and the Republic of Turkey, a Middle Eastern country. Nigeria has had diplomatic ties with Turkey since it gained independence from Britain in 1960. However, economic relations between the two countries predates the official time; Turkey opened its embassy in 1962 in Lagos. Nigeria's Bornu Empire of North-Eastern Nigeria had pre-colonial relations with the Ottoman Empire. In modern times, relations between the two countries focus on trade cooperation, migration issues, humanitarian aids, and other commercial transactions in exports and imports of goods and services. While Nigeria exports mainly crude oil to Turkey, other areas of cooperation are beginning to emerge, especially as security problems continue to permeate in the Republic of Nigeria with insurgency from the North Eastern and rapidly expanding to other parts of the country. With scarcity literature on the relations of the two countries and absence of a detailed, in depth analyses on the challenges and prospects on the subject matter, this work interrogates the most salient of the recent developments in the relations and the impact it has had on the two countries. Given the mass kidnappings, bombings, and other acts of terrorism of Islamist insurgents, Nigeria is looking towards Turkey for military arsenals and equipment, security, and defence mechanisms in fighting terrorism. This study which centres on the foreign policy of the two countries adopted a historical method of inquiry to investigate the dynamics of Nigerian-Turkey relations. At the same time, the data collected were interpreted qualitatively. The research findings discovered that the political and economic relations of the two nation-states had experienced both positive and negative results in terms of the impact of their diplomatic relation over the years. While the study concludes that the prospect of bilateral relations between Nigeria and Turkey is enduring and beneficial to both parties, better cooperation levels are achievable. The study ultimately recommends reactive peacebuilding and readjustments of their strategies on key policies to realise their national interests without much disagreement as experienced at some points in their bilateral relations. The work is divided into five major sections as follows: (1) Introduction, (2) Framework of Analysis, (3) Historical Antecedents/Overview of the Bilateral Relations of Nigeria and Turkey, (4) Assessment of the Viability of the Relations of the two nations, (5) Prospects and Concluding Remarks.