President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of the Republic of Türkiye has said his country is targeting a $5 billion trade volume with Nigeria, revealing that discussions to actualise the goal have already begun.
Erdogan made this known on Tuesday in Ankara during a joint press briefing with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, held as part of the Nigerian leader’s state visit to Türkiye.
According to Bayo Onanuga, media aide to the President, Erdogan disclosed that the current trade volume between both countries stands at about $2 billion, noting that Türkiye exports aircraft, helicopters, machinery, iron and steel, and chemical products to Nigeria, while Nigeria exports crude oil and agricultural products to Türkiye.
The Turkish president said the planned establishment of a Joint Economy and Trade Committee would help expand Turkish investments in Nigeria and drive efforts toward achieving the $5 billion trade target.
According to him, both leaders conducted an extensive review of bilateral relations covering trade, investment, energy, education and defence cooperation.
“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,” Erdogan said.
He also praised President Tinubu’s commitment to Nigeria’s development, pointing to the presence of several Nigerian ministers and top officials at the meeting as evidence of strong political will.
President Erdogan commended Nigeria’s reforms in the energy sector, describing them as key to the restructuring of the country’s economy. He expressed optimism that cooperation between the Turkish Petroleum Corporation and Nigerian partners would deliver positive results.
On security, Erdogan pledged Türkiye’s support to Nigeria in tackling insurgency and terrorism, particularly amid growing security threats in Africa’s Sahel region.
“We stand by the friendly people of Nigeria in their fight against terrorism under the leadership of President Tinubu,” he said, adding that both countries discussed closer cooperation in military training and intelligence sharing.
In his remarks, President Tinubu thanked Türkiye for its openness to collaboration and its commitment to promoting global freedom, stability and shared prosperity.
He stressed the need for inclusive economic growth that accommodates vulnerable populations and removes barriers to trade and business.
