Nigeria and Turkey have expressed readiness to deepen bilateral cooperation in the areas of trade, defence and security as both countries seek to strengthen economic ties and confront emerging global and regional security challenges.
This commitment was reaffirmed during a high-level bilateral meeting between senior officials of both countries in Abuja, where discussions centred on expanding investment opportunities, enhancing defence collaboration and boosting people-to-people relations.
Speaking at the meeting, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, said the partnership between Nigeria and Turkey had grown steadily over the years and now required strategic expansion to reflect current economic and security realities.
Tuggar noted that Turkey had become an important trading partner, particularly in construction, manufacturing, energy and defence equipment, adding that Nigeria was keen on attracting more Turkish investments to support industrial growth and job creation.
“Nigeria is committed to building mutually beneficial partnerships that promote trade, technology transfer and security cooperation. Turkey remains a strategic partner with significant potential for expanded engagement,” he said.
On security cooperation, the minister emphasised the need for sustained collaboration in defence training, intelligence sharing and counter-terrorism efforts, especially as Nigeria continues to address insurgency, banditry and transnational crime.
In his remarks, the Turkish delegation leader and Deputy Foreign Minister, Mr Burak Akçapar, said Turkey was prepared to strengthen defence and security ties with Nigeria while exploring new trade and investment opportunities.
Akçapar disclosed that Turkish companies were interested in expanding operations in Nigeria’s infrastructure, agriculture, mining and renewable energy sectors, noting that Nigeria’s large market and regional influence made it a key partner in Africa.
He added that Turkey was open to supporting Nigeria’s security architecture through capacity building, defence technology cooperation and joint initiatives aimed at combating terrorism and organised crime.
According to him, enhanced security cooperation would also create a stable environment necessary for economic growth and sustained foreign investment.
Both sides agreed on the need to activate existing bilateral frameworks and explore new agreements to boost trade volume, which has witnessed steady growth in recent years.
They also underscored the importance of diplomatic engagement, cultural exchange and private sector participation in strengthening long-term relations between the two countries.
The meeting concluded with a pledge to convene follow-up technical sessions to finalise priority areas of cooperation and accelerate implementation of agreed initiatives.
