President Bola Tinubu has arrived in Ankara, Türkiye, for a state visit aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between Nigeria and Turkey across critical sectors.
The president touched down at the Ankara Esenboğa Airport at 9:05 p.m. local time on Monday and was received by a Turkish government delegation led by the Minister of National Education, Yusuf Tekin. Tinubu had departed Abuja earlier in the day, leaving the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport at about 2:05 p.m.
According to a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the visit is designed to deepen cooperation in priority areas including security, education, social development, innovation and aviation.
The engagement also seeks to expand collaboration in finance, communications, trade and investment, reflecting both countries’ shared economic and strategic interests.
Onanuga noted that the visit builds on the official trip by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to Nigeria in October 2021, which marked a significant milestone in Abuja-Ankara diplomatic relations.
Since then, both governments have explored avenues to elevate their partnership through structured political dialogue and sector-specific cooperation.
During the state ongoing visit, senior officials from both countries are expected to hold high-level political and diplomatic engagements, culminating in the signing of several memoranda of understanding. The agreements are expected to cover scientific research, energy, technical cooperation, media and communications, military collaboration and protocol matters.
A Nigeria-Turkey business forum will also take place on the sidelines, bringing together investors and industry leaders from both countries to identify opportunities for trade expansion, joint ventures and long-term economic growth.
Members of the President’s delegation include the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar; the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN; the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd); and the Chairman of the House Committee on Defence, Jimi Benson.
Other officials on the entourage are the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Suleiman-Ibrahim; the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo; the Minister of Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa; the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Mohammed Mohammed.
President Tinubu is expected to return to Nigeria at the conclusion of the visit. His most recent foreign engagement was in the United Arab Emirates, where he attended the 2026 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week and signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, underscoring his administration’s focus on economic diplomacy.