President Bola Ahmed Tinubu this week held bilateral talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara, as Nigeria and Türkiye reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening strategic, economic, and defense cooperation.
Speaking at a joint press conference, President Erdoğan described Nigeria as a strategic partner and one of Türkiye’s key commercial allies in Africa. He said both countries shared strong political will and economic interests, noting Nigeria’s population of over 230 million and its role within multilateral platforms such as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the D8 group.
“We have evaluated our relations in trade, investment, education, energy and the defence industry,” Erdoğan said, adding that both governments had reaffirmed their goal of increasing bilateral trade volume to five billion dollars.
Erdoğan highlighted Nigeria’s position as Africa’s largest producer of oil and natural gas and said energy cooperation had gained importance since President Tinubu assumed office. He said Turkish state-owned firms, including Turkish Petroleum and BOTAS, were interested in deepening collaboration in Nigeria’s energy sector.
Both countries also exchanged agreements on defense cooperation. Türkiye pledged support for Nigeria’s fight against militancy, including collaboration in military training, intelligence sharing, and defense capacity building.
Erdoğan said Tinubu’s visit, accompanied by senior Nigerian officials, demonstrated Nigeria’s strong political commitment to advancing bilateral relations. He added that business engagements held alongside the state visit were expected to further strengthen economic ties.
Tinubu later said Nigeria remained open to serious partnerships and investment. In a post on X, the president said Nigeria was open to trade without barriers and to ideas, skills, and investments that create value and shared prosperity.
Incident at Reception Ceremony
Earlier on Tuesday, President Tinubu briefly stumbled during an official reception ceremony in Ankara while being welcomed by President Erdoğan.
Video footage shared on social media showed Tinubu losing his balance momentarily after walking past a line of soldiers and dignitaries. Aides were seen assisting the president before the footage cut to an aerial view. Tinubu later appeared alongside Erdoğan during the ceremony.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said the incident occurred after the president stepped on a metal object on the floor, which caused him to lose his balance.
“This was a mere stumble and not a fall,” Onanuga said, adding that the president was not injured.
Presidency Responds to Public Reaction
Following the circulation of video clips of the incident on social media, the presidency moved to allay concerns over the president’s health.
Presidential aide Sunday Dare said Tinubu was in good condition and proceeded with his scheduled engagements, including bilateral meetings with President Erdoğan and senior officials from both countries.
President Tinubu is in great shape as the state visit proceeds smoothly,” Dare said, adding that all planned activities continued without interruption.
Tinubu’s last public stumble occurred in June 2024, after which the president had joked about the incident. At the time, political figures across party lines expressed sympathy, describing the episode as an unfortunate incident and noting that it underscored the president’s humanity.
Despite the incident in Ankara, Nigerian officials said the state visit achieved its objectives, with new agreements announced in trade, energy, defense, and investment cooperation between Nigeria and Türkiye.
