Ankara: The Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria, Mehmet Poroy, says President Bola Tinubu’s recent state visit to Ankara, the Turkish capital, from Jan. 27 to 28, was a milestone in Nigeria-Trkiye relations. Ambassador Poroy stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the visit marked a new era for the deepening of bilateral relations and demonstrated the strong will of both countries to further advance relations across different fields. Poroy highlighted that the visit was the first bilateral presidential visit from Nigeria to Trkiye in the last nine years, following Trkiye’s President Recep Erdogan’s visit to Nigeria in 2021.
During President Tinubu’s visit, nine agreements and memoranda of understanding were signed in areas including security, education, trade, media, halal accreditation, population, and diaspora policies. It was confirmed in the meetings that both sides share a common desire to implement these agreements swiftly and effectively for mutual benefit.
The meetings, chaired by both presidents, focused on ways to deepen cooperation across various areas, with particular emphasis on security and the fight against terrorism. The Turkish envoy expressed Trkiye’s readiness to support Nigeria in its fight against terrorism, indicating a new period of closer military collaboration, including discussions on joint local production facilities and critical defense systems.
In the commercial realm, a bilateral trade volume target of $5 billion, initially set during Erdogan’s visit to Nigeria in 2021, was reaffirmed. The signing of the Joint Declaration establishing the Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) was a significant development in addressing obstacles hindering trade and mutual investments between the two nations.
Educational cooperation was also a focal point, with three separate agreements signed during the visit to intensify collaboration. The presence of approximately 3,500 Nigerian students in Trkiye was recognized as a key factor in strengthening bilateral ties. Moreover, an agreement between the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Diplomacy Academy and the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Foreign Service Academy was highlighted, facilitating easier participation in training programs for young diplomats from both countries.
Furthermore, discussions on diaspora cooperation were held, focusing on information exchange and experience sharing, recognizing the sizeable diaspora populations in both countries. These agreements are seen as important investments in the future of diplomatic relations between Nigeria and Trkiye.