President Bola Tinubu will depart Abuja on Monday, January 26, for a state visit to the Republic of Turkey as part of efforts to further strengthen bilateral relations between both countries.
The visit was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who said the trip is aimed at deepening cooperation in key areas such as security, education, social development, innovation and aviation.
According to Onanuga, the visit builds on the diplomatic momentum created by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s official visit to Nigeria between October 19 and 20, 2021, which significantly boosted relations between Abuja and Ankara.
During the visit, President Tinubu and Turkish authorities are expected to hold high-level political and diplomatic engagements focused on shared interests in finance, communication, trade and investment.
The programme will also include meetings between senior officials of both countries and the signing of several memoranda of understanding (MoUs) covering scientific research, energy, technical cooperation, media and communications, military collaboration and protocol.
A Nigeria–Turkey business forum is also scheduled to hold on the sidelines of the visit, bringing together investors from both countries to explore opportunities for mutual 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.
Others 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.
