Turkey has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Nigeria in its ongoing battle against terrorism, with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan pledging deeper cooperation in security, defence, and intelligence sharing.
The Turkish leader made the pledge on Tuesday in Ankara during a joint press briefing with President Bola Tinubu, who is on an official state visit to the country.
Erdoğan praised Nigeria’s efforts to confront insecurity, noting that Ankara stands in solidarity with the Nigerian government and people.
According to a statement issued by Nigeria’s presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, Erdoğan said Turkey is prepared to share its extensive counterterrorism experience, particularly in areas of military training and intelligence collaboration.
He warned that terrorist groups operating across Africa, especially in the Sahel region, pose a serious danger to regional stability and require coordinated international action.
As part of the visit, Nigerian officials engaged with major Turkish defence companies to explore partnerships aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s security capacity.
Erdoğan confirmed that both sides reviewed prospects for closer defence cooperation and expressed optimism about the outcomes of the engagements.
Beyond security, economic ties featured prominently in the discussions.
The two leaders restated their shared goal of expanding bilateral trade to $5 billion.
Erdoğan said concrete steps were outlined to achieve the target, including the activation of the Joint Economic and Trade Committee to drive sustained cooperation.
Turkey also signalled strong interest in Nigeria’s energy sector.
Erdoğan said Ankara supports increased Turkish investment in Nigeria and welcomes collaboration between Turkish state energy firms and Nigerian partners.
He described Nigeria as central to Africa’s energy future, given its vast oil and gas reserves.
President Tinubu’s visit, Erdoğan noted, reflects Nigeria’s determination to strengthen political and economic relations with Turkey.
Nigeria has battled insurgency and terrorism for over a decade, with thousands of lives lost and millions displaced.
The state visit is expected to further reinforce existing ties between both countries while opening new areas of cooperation in security, trade, energy, education, aviation, and innovation.
