President Bola Tinubu was officially welcomed with full diplomatic and military honours at the Presidential Complex in Ankara on Tuesday, marking the start of his high-level state visit to the Republic of Türkiye.
The reception began at about 5:00 pm local time with the simultaneous rendition of the national anthems of Nigeria and Türkiye, followed by a ceremonial 21-gun salute.
President Tinubu, alongside his host, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, went on to inspect a guard of honour made up of members of the Turkish armed forces.
After the formal ceremonies, both leaders moved into a closed-door bilateral meeting where discussions on key strategic issues of national interest were expected.
This visit represents Tinubu’s first official trip to the European country and serves as a reciprocal engagement following President Erdoğan’s visit to Nigeria in October 2021 during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the visit would concentrate on expanding cooperation in security, education, social development, innovation, and aviation.
Onanuga added that both nations would also hold high-level political and diplomatic talks centred on shared interests in finance, communication, trade, and investment.
Data from the International Trade Centre shows that trade between Nigeria and Türkiye reached $877.8 million in 2024.
According to Onanuga, the current visit is designed to significantly strengthen bilateral relations, with particular emphasis on Türkiye’s expertise in security and defence, which Nigeria considers vital to its present strategic needs.
The programme of activities includes meetings between senior officials from both countries, as well as the signing of memoranda of understanding covering areas such as scientific research, energy, technical cooperation, media and communications, military collaboration, and protocol.
A business forum is also scheduled to bring together investors from Nigeria and Türkiye to identify and explore opportunities of mutual benefit.
President Tinubu’s delegation comprises top government functionaries and heads of security agencies.
Those accompanying him include the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar; the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi; the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.); the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; and the Director General of the National Intelligence Agency, Mohammed Mohammed.
Also in the delegation are the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo; the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim; and the Chairman of the House Committee on Defence, Jimi Benson.
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