President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday continued his official engagements in Türkiye after briefly stumbling during a ceremonial welcome in Ankara, Nigerian presidential aides have said.
The incident, captured in a widely circulated video, occurred as the Nigerian leader walked alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during a formal reception at the presidential complex.
Tinubu appeared to miss a step momentarily but was quickly supported by officials and regained his balance.
Addressing concerns raised on social media, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, said the president was not injured and proceeded without delay to scheduled diplomatic activities.
In a post on X, Olusegun said Tinubu “missed his step very briefly” and immediately went on to hold bilateral discussions with President Erdoğan, adding that a joint press briefing followed the talks.
Further reassurance came from the Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, who said the president moved straight from the ceremonial reception into meetings with Turkish leaders and senior government officials from both countries.
According to Dare, the state visit followed its planned programme, beginning with a guard of honour and the rendition of the Nigerian and Turkish national anthems after Tinubu arrived at the palace in a presidential motorcade.
President Tinubu had departed Abuja on Monday for the state visit, which Nigerian officials say is aimed at deepening diplomatic ties between Abuja and Ankara.
Discussions during the visit are expected to focus on cooperation in areas such as security, education, innovation, aviation, trade, investment, communications and social development.
Despite the brief misstep at the welcome ceremony, Nigerian officials stressed that the president remained fully engaged throughout the visit, including participating in bilateral talks and a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart.
