Significance of President Tinubu’s Visit to Türkiye
By Mustapha Isah
Emerging global economic, security, and climate challenges increasingly demand international cooperation. This reality underscores the strategic importance of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent visit to the Republic of Türkiye, where he emphasised the urgency of collaboration among global partners in addressing today’s existential threats to future security, peace, and development.
The visit was designed to deepen bilateral trade relations and harness Türkiye’s technological advancement, particularly in the defence sector. Türkiye’s global relevance derives largely from its unique geographic position linking Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, as well as its growing influence in regional security and industrial production.
Nigeria and Türkiye established diplomatic relations in 1962, and the partnership has steadily expanded into a mutually beneficial economic and strategic relationship. Nigeria is currently Türkiye’s largest trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa, with more than 50 Turkish companies operating in the country.
During President Tinubu’s visit to Ankara, Nigeria and Türkiye signed nine cooperation agreements covering defence collaboration, trade and economic coordination, higher education, media and communication, diaspora policy, and institutional partnerships between key ministries and diplomatic academies of both countries.
A central pillar of the visit was defence cooperation. Türkiye, under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has developed advanced defence capabilities and counter-terrorism experience. The defence protocol with Nigeria goes beyond arms procurement to include military training, intelligence sharing, counter-terrorism support, and defence-industry collaboration.
These developments carry particular significance for Nigeria’s ongoing security challenges, including insurgency and banditry. The agreement is expected to provide access to modern military platforms such as T-129 ATAK helicopters and unmanned aerial systems, alongside technology transfer and local capacity building. Erdoğan’s public commitment to support Nigeria in combating terrorism further reinforces the strategic value of the partnership.
Economically, the visit also opened new pathways for expanded trade and investment. Bilateral trade reached about $688.4 million in the first eleven months of 2025, with both countries now targeting $5 billion in the medium term. Turkish companies operating in Nigeria have investments estimated at $400 million, while Turkish contractors are executing projects valued at roughly $3 billion across construction, manufacturing, energy, and infrastructure development.
The proposed Joint Economic and Trade Committee is expected to facilitate investment flows, remove trade barriers, and promote industrial cooperation and innovation between both economies.
Educational and human-capacity exchanges also remain a vital component of the partnership. More than 3,000 Nigerians have graduated from Turkish universities under scholarship programmes, strengthening cross-cultural understanding, professional networks, and long-term collaboration in science, technology, and entrepreneurship.
For Nigeria to realise its ambition of becoming a major economic power, it must sustain strategic partnerships with influential global actors. President Tinubu’s visit to Türkiye should therefore be viewed as part of a broader foreign-policy strategy aimed at mobilising international cooperation to address Nigeria’s security, economic, and social challenges.
