By Ayo Ayodele
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of the Republic of Turkey on Tuesday reaffirmed his country’s commitment to achieving a $5 billion trade volume with Nigeria, signaling a new chapter in bilateral economic cooperation.
The announcement was made during a joint press briefing with President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria, who is currently on a state visit to Turkey. President Erdogan said discussions on the trade deal have already commenced, with the establishment of a Joint Economy and Trade Committee expected to boost Turkish investments in Nigeria.
“Today, we conducted a comprehensive review of our relations with the esteemed president and his delegation in the fields of trade, investments, energy, education, and the defense industry,” President Erdogan said. “Our commitment is to the target of $5 billion trade volume, and we discussed the steps that need to be taken to achieve this.”
The Turkish leader also praised President Tinubu’s efforts in restructuring Nigeria’s energy sector and expressed hope that ongoing collaboration between Turkish Petroleum Corporation and Nigerian counterparts will yield positive results.
On security cooperation, President Erdogan assured Nigeria of Turkey’s support in counterterrorism efforts, particularly against threats emerging from the Sahel region. “We stand by the friendly people of Nigeria in their fight against terrorism under the leadership of President Tinubu. We are ready to share our significant experience in the fight against terrorism,” he said.
President Tinubu thanked Turkey for its willingness to collaborate on promoting global freedom, stability, and prosperity, emphasizing the importance of inclusive economic growth that engages vulnerable populations. He also commended Turkey’s peace efforts in Somalia and reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to peace and stability in Africa.
The bilateral meeting concluded with the exchange of nine agreements covering areas such as diaspora policy, defense cooperation, trade, halal quality infrastructure, higher education, media, education, and social development.