- Safiu Kehinde
President Bola Tinubu has departed Abuja for a state visit to the Republic of Turkiye.
Tinubu left the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, at about 2:05 p.m. on Monday for the visit.
Video shared on X by the President’s Special Assistant on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, showed moment he arrived at the airport with notable government officials awaiting his arrival.
Tinubu exchanged pleasantries with the officials which included the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila; and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.
Others present at the airport to see the President off were his Special Adviser on Public Communications and Orientation, Sunday Dare; the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governor’s Forum, Hope Uzodinma; and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike.
Tinubu’s visit, according to a statement issued on Sunday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, is aimed at deepening cooperation with the European country in key sectors including security, education, social development, innovation, and aviation.
Onanuga noted that the trip follows an earlier official visit to Nigeria by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan between October 19 and 20, 2021, which reinforced diplomatic ties between Abuja and Ankara.
During President Tinubu’s visit, both countries are expected to hold strategic political and diplomatic engagements focused on shared interests in finance, communication, trade, and investment.
The programme will also feature meetings between senior government officials from both nations, alongside the signing of several memoranda of understanding (MoUs) covering scientific research, energy, technical cooperation, media and communications, military collaboration, and protocol.
A business forum will be held on the sidelines of the visit, bringing together Nigerian and Turkish investors to explore opportunities for mutual economic growth, the presidency noted.
Members of the President’s delegation participating in the bilateral engagements include the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar; the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN; the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd); and the Chairman of the House Committee on Defence, Jimi Benson.
Others on the entourage are the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Suleiman-Ibrahim; the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo; the Minister of Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa; the National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu; and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Mohammed Mohammed.
President Tinubu is expected to return to the country at the conclusion of the visit.