Tinubu Touches Down in Ankara, Sets Stage for High-Stakes Talks with Erdogan

By John Paul

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu arrived in Ankara, the capital of the Republic of Türkiye, on Monday night, beginning a State Visit aimed at deepening diplomatic, economic and strategic ties between both countries.
The presidential aircraft landed at Ankara Esenboğa Airport at exactly 9:03pm local time, where Tinubu was received by a Turkish government delegation led by the Minister of National Education, Yusuf Tekin. Also present at the airport were the Chargé d’Affaires at the Nigerian Embassy in Türkiye, Ambassador Zayyad Abdulsalam, alongside other embassy officials.
On arrival at his hotel, the President was welcomed by senior members of his delegation, including the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN; the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun; Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Mr. Dele Alake; and the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd).
Also on hand to receive the President were the Minister of Interior, Mr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo; Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim; Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Mr. Kingsley Udeh, SAN; Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Defence, Hon. Babajimi Benson; Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, Mr. Daniel Bwala; and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed.
President Tinubu’s visit is expected to reinforce the long-standing cordial relations between Nigeria and Türkiye, while opening new fronts of cooperation across key sectors of mutual interest.
During the visit, the President is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with his Turkish counterpart, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, with discussions expected to focus on strengthening strategic partnerships and expanding collaboration between both countries.
Several Memoranda of Understanding are also expected to be signed during the visit, alongside other high-level engagements aimed at advancing a mutually beneficial Nigeria–Türkiye partnership.