The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.), has said Nigeria’s growing security partnership with Türkiye will not undermine its relationship with the United States, insisting that the country remains committed to its non-aligned posture.
General Musa said this during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics while responding to concerns that Nigeria’s defence agreements with Türkiye could strain ties with Washington, especially amid ongoing US military support to Nigeria.
According to the former Chief of Defence Staff, Nigeria’s approach allows it to work with multiple international partners in its national interest.
“Nigeria is now a non-aligned nation, which means we can partner with everybody. Once you are a friendly nation to us, we are friends, and we can relate directly.
“That is why we can deal with China, Türkiye, and the United States. The idea of isolating yourself with just one group is not the best for anybody,” he said.
The defence minister explained that maintaining diverse defence partnerships gives Nigeria strategic leverage, citing Egypt as an example of a country that benefits from cooperation with multiple global powers.
“You can see in Egypt that they have support from several countries. It is important to keep that leverage so you can continue to move forward,” he added.
