President Bola Tinubu has returned to Nigeria following a state visit to the Republic of Türkiye aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between both countries.
The President arrived in the country at about 8:55 p.m. and was received by senior government officials.
Tinubu had departed Abuja on January 26, 2026, for the days-long visit, which followed an earlier official trip to Nigeria by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan between October 19 and 20, 2021, a visit that further consolidated diplomatic ties between Abuja and Ankara.
During the visit, President Tinubu and his Turkish counterpart signed nine Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) covering key sectors of cooperation. Central to the agreements was a commitment to boost bilateral trade from $2 billion to $5 billion.
“We also discussed opportunities to support our investments in Nigeria. We believe that the Joint Economy and Trade Committee, which we agreed to establish today, will be instrumental in this regard,” Tinubu said during a joint briefing with Erdoğan.
Other agreements reached during the visit spanned energy cooperation, media, higher education, and Halal Quality Infrastructure, an initiative expected to enhance the competitiveness of Nigerian agricultural products in global markets.
President Erdoğan also pledged Türkiye’s support for Nigeria’s fight against terrorism, expressing readiness to deepen cooperation in military training and intelligence sharing.
Speaking at a joint press conference, the Turkish leader said that under President Tinubu’s leadership, Nigeria is taking decisive steps to address terrorism, adding that Türkiye stands firmly with the Nigerian people.
“We are ready to share Türkiye’s significant experience in counterterrorism,” presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga quoted Erdoğan as saying.
The Turkish president further warned that terrorist groups, particularly in Africa’s Sahel region, pose a serious threat to the continent’s stability.
As part of the visit, Nigerian officials held meetings with leading Turkish defence industry firms and expressed optimism about the outcomes of the engagements.
Nigeria currently exports crude oil and agricultural products to Türkiye, while the European nation supplies Nigeria with aircraft, iron and steel, chemical products, and helicopters.
