Relationship dossier
Nigeria
Russia
Relationship assessment
Practical cooperation in defence and nuclear energy, with the scope of implementation uncertain
Nigeria toward Russia
+25Nigeria has pursued defence procurement from Russia and entered into a military-technical cooperation arrangement. The Nigerian government has also engaged Russia on nuclear-energy cooperation.
Russia toward Nigeria
+30Russia has supplied military equipment to Nigeria and entered into a military-technical cooperation arrangement with the Nigerian government. Russian entities have also pursued nuclear-energy cooperation with Nigeria.
Overall relationship
+25The relationship is characterized by concrete cooperation in defence procurement and military-technical ties, alongside government engagement on nuclear energy. This provides a substantive basis for cooperation, though the scale and implementation of projects are uncertain and the partnership appears concentrated in a few sectors.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Nigeria and Russia have maintained practical cooperation, particularly in defence procurement and nuclear energy. Nigeria has purchased Russian military equipment and entered into a military-technical cooperation arrangement; the two governments have also pursued nuclear-energy cooperation. These ties indicate substantive but bounded engagement. The scale and implementation of several proposed projects remain unclear.
Key developments
Nigeria and Russia entered into a military-technical cooperation arrangement.
The two governments pursued nuclear-energy cooperation through an agreement involving Rosatom.
Major uncertainties
- The extent and implementation of nuclear-energy cooperation are unclear.
- The scale and continuity of defence procurement and military-technical cooperation are uncertain.