President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is set to leave Abuja today, Monday, on a state visit to the Republic of Türkiye, marking another significant step in Nigeria’s foreign relations agenda. The visit is expected to deepen diplomatic ties and expand cooperation between both nations across several key sectors.

The President’s trip was confirmed by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who explained that the visit is focused on reinforcing the long-standing relationship between Nigeria and Türkiye while opening new avenues for collaboration. According to him, discussions will span critical areas such as security, education, social development, innovation, and aviation.

This visit also serves as a diplomatic response to the earlier state visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to Nigeria in October 2021, underscoring the mutual commitment of both countries to sustained engagement at the highest level.

While in Türkiye, President Tinubu is expected to hold strategic meetings with top Turkish government officials. These engagements will cover political and diplomatic matters, as well as shared interests in finance, communications, trade, and investment. Both countries are expected to explore ways to strengthen economic partnerships and enhance people-to-people relations.

A major highlight of the visit will be the signing of several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs). These agreements are expected to cover areas including scientific research, energy development, technical cooperation, military collaboration, media and communications, and diplomatic protocol. The agreements are aimed at creating structured frameworks for long-term cooperation between Nigeria and Türkiye.

In addition to government-level engagements, the visit will feature a business forum designed to bring together investors and business leaders from both countries. The forum is expected to provide a platform for identifying investment opportunities, fostering partnerships, and encouraging private-sector participation in mutually beneficial projects.

President Tinubu will be accompanied by a high-level delegation made up of senior government officials and security chiefs. Members of the 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 (retd); and the Chairman of the House Committee on Defence, Jimi Benson.

Other officials on the trip are the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Imaan 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 after concluding the official engagements in Türkiye.