President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of the Republic of Türkiye has said his country is targeting a $5 billion trade volume with Nigeria, noting that discussions to achieve the goal have already begun.
Erdogan made this known on Tuesday in Ankara during a joint press briefing with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as part of the Nigerian leader’s State Visit to Türkiye.
He disclosed that the current trade volume between both countries stands at about $2 billion. Türkiye exports aircraft, helicopters, machinery, iron and steel, as well as chemical products to Nigeria, while Nigeria exports crude oil and agricultural products to Türkiye.
According to the Turkish President, the planned establishment of a Joint Economy and Trade Committee will create fresh opportunities to expand Turkish investments in Nigeria and help both countries attain the $5 billion trade target.
Erdogan praised President Tinubu’s commitment to Nigeria’s development, describing the presence of several ministers and top government officials in the Nigerian delegation as a clear demonstration of strong political will.
“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 defence industry,” Erdogan said.
“Firstly, we see that we have significant potential in the fields of trade and investment. In today’s meetings, our commitment is to the $5 billion trade volume target, and we discussed the steps needed.
“We also discussed opportunities to support our investments in Nigeria. We believe that the Joint Economy and Trade Committee, which we agreed to establish today, will be instrumental in this regard.”
The Turkish leader also commended Nigeria’s progress in the energy sector, describing recent reforms as key to the restructuring of the country’s economy. He expressed optimism that cooperation between the Turkish Petroleum Corporation and its Nigerian counterparts would deliver tangible results.
On security, President Erdogan pledged Türkiye’s support to Nigeria in tackling insurgency, drawing from his country’s experience in combating terrorism.
“Terrorist organisations emerging, particularly in Africa’s Sahel region, unfortunately pose a threat to the peace of the entire continent. We stand by the friendly people of Nigeria in their fight against terrorism under the leadership of President Tinubu,” he said.
He added that both leaders explored closer cooperation in military training and intelligence sharing, and that Türkiye was ready to share its expertise in counter-terrorism. Erdogan also expressed confidence that meetings between Nigerian officials and leading Turkish defence industry companies would soon yield positive outcomes.
In his remarks, President Tinubu thanked the Republic of Türkiye for its openness and willingness to collaborate in promoting global freedom, stability and shared prosperity. He stressed the importance of building an inclusive economy that takes vulnerable groups into account.
Commending President Erdogan, Tinubu said the Turkish leader was “willing to collaborate, willing to help, willing to work together to promote freedom, stability and prosperity across the world.”
He added: “What is very important to the countries being discussed is trade, business, no restrictions, giving opportunity to those who are ready to learn, to work and to prosper.
How do we build an inclusive economy together? How do we reform the economy and involve vulnerable people? How do we ensure peace in the world?”
President Tinubu reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to promoting peace and stability in Africa, despite security challenges in parts of the country.
“We discussed efforts against terrorism. We discussed how to defeat agents of destabilisation,” he said.
The Nigerian President also praised Erdogan’s commitment to global peace, particularly his efforts in Somalia.
At the end of the bilateral meeting, officials from both countries signed nine agreements. These include agreements on Diaspora Policy Cooperation; Defence Cooperation; a Joint Declaration establishing the Economy and Trade Joint Committee; and Cooperation in the Field of Halal Quality Infrastructure.
Others are agreements on Cooperation in Higher Education; Media and Communication; Education; Cooperation between the Diplomacy Academy of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Nigeria’s Foreign Service Academy; and Cooperation between the Turkish Ministry of Social Services and Nigeria’s Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.
