President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Saturday night returned to Abuja after a productive state visit to Türkiye, where he held high-level talks aimed at deepening bilateral relations and expanding cooperation in trade, investment, security, and strategic sectors.
The President’s aircraft touched down at the Presidential Wing of Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, at 8:55 p.m. He was received by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike; Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle; and other senior government officials.
During the Ankara visit, Tinubu met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and both leaders agreed to intensify collaboration across trade, defence, energy, and counter-terrorism. At a joint press briefing, Erdogan reaffirmed Türkiye’s commitment to achieving a $5 billion trade volume with Nigeria, noting that preliminary discussions toward the target had already begun. Current trade between the two countries stands at about $2 billion.
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Erdogan highlighted the planned establishment of a Joint Economy and Trade Committee, describing it as a key platform to expand bilateral trade and support Turkish investments in Nigeria. He also commended Tinubu’s dedication to attracting investment, noting the presence of several Nigerian ministers and senior officials as a testament to Nigeria’s seriousness.
On energy, the Turkish President praised ongoing reforms in Nigeria’s sector and expressed confidence that collaboration between the Turkish Petroleum Corporation and Nigerian counterparts would deliver tangible results.
In the area of security, Erdogan pledged support for Nigeria’s fight against terrorism, particularly in the Sahel region, and offered closer cooperation in military training, intelligence sharing, and defence industry collaboration. He assured that Türkiye was ready to share its experience in counter-terrorism operations.
Speaking at the briefing, Tinubu expressed gratitude for Türkiye’s willingness to work with Nigeria in promoting global stability, peace, and shared prosperity. He stressed the importance of building an inclusive economy that integrates vulnerable groups into productive activities.
The President also lauded Erdogan’s role in advancing peace efforts in Africa, particularly in Somalia, and reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to maintaining peace and stability across the continent despite regional challenges.
The bilateral meetings concluded with the signing of nine agreements, including a Joint Declaration establishing the Economy and Trade Joint Committee, and pacts on defence cooperation, diaspora policy, halal quality infrastructure, higher education, media and communication, education, diplomatic training, and social services collaboration.
