Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria, Mehmet Poroy, says Türkiye targets scaling its current bilateral trade volume with Nigeria, which stands at approximately $two billion to about $five billion.

Mr Poroy disclosed this at a meeting with journalists held to commemorate the 66th anniversary of the elevation of diplomatic relations between Nigeria and Türkiye to the ambassadorial level, on Monday evening, in Abuja.

He said the $5 billion target was part of efforts to expand economic relations between both countries, following the visit of President Bola Tinubu to Türkiye earlier in the year.

The envoy added that the presidential visit, which involved nine Nigerian ministers, provided an opportunity to discuss areas of cooperation, where nine agreements and memoranda of understanding were signed.

“We need to increase our bilateral trade. Indeed, this is the instruction given to us by our presidents during this presidential visit.

“The goal is to have five billion dollars in bilateral trade,” he said.

Mr Poroy noted that the current trade between both countries stood at about $two billion, including oil and gas.

The envoy noted that the figure was relatively low compared with Nigeria’s economic potential.

He said Türkiye’s total trade with African countries was about 37 billion dollars, while its trade with Nigeria alone accounted for only about two billion dollars.

“There is room for improvement. This is the same in terms of investments. Taking into account the huge economic potential that Nigeria offers, we have a lot of things to do,” he said.

The envoy said that his country had already engaged chambers of commerce in Abuja, Kano, Kaduna and Lagos to identify practical ways of expanding business relations.

He said Türkiye had also introduced facilitated visa procedures for business people to encourage direct business-to-business contacts.

Mr Poroy said Türkiye was also working with Nigeria to strengthen its military capacity through equipment supplies, training and the possibility of establishing local production facilities.

According to him, the Nigerian military already uses Turkish attack helicopters and drones in operations against insecurity, particularly in the northern part of the country.

“We are planning to have some local production unit also in that context, not only selling to Nigeria the tools, equipment and arms that it needs, but also the possibility of having local production here in Nigeria,” he said.

Mr Poroy also disclosed that about 200 Nigerian special forces were currently undergoing a two-month training programme in Türkiye.

He said both countries were also planning to establish a training facility in Nigeria, which would enable Nigerian military personnel to receive continuous training locally with support from Turkish officers.

Mr Poroy said Türkiye was ready to share its experience in counterterrorism, having spent about four decades confronting terrorism and losing more than 40,000 people in the process.

“Security is important for other issues also. If you are a secure, stable country, then you may have more developed relations,” he said.

Mr Poroy added that the Turkish government had provided food assistance to 3,000 families in Adamawa affected by displacement and insecurity.

He said Turkish humanitarian organisations had also supported vulnerable communities across Nigeria, particularly through food distribution during Ramadan and Eid al-Adha.

According to him, Turkish NGOs and the Turkish Religious Affairs Foundation spent about five million dollars on humanitarian and food-related interventions in Nigeria in the past year.

He said the support reflected the willingness of the Turkish people to assist communities in need, adding that both countries would explore ways to coordinate such interventions more systematically with Nigerian authorities.

Mr Poroy also noted that Turkish Airlines planned to increase the number of weekly flights between Nigeria and Istanbul to strengthen connectivity and facilitate movement between both countries.

He said improved air links would support business contacts, trade, investment and people-to-people exchanges

The envoy further recalled that Türkiye elevated its diplomatic relations with Nigeria to ambassadorial level on Nov. 9, 1960, about one month after Nigeria gained independence.

He clarified that the first Turkish Consulate-General was established in Lagos on April 19, 1959, while the first Turkish ambassador arrived in Nigeria in 1962.

According to him, the 66th anniversary is about the formal elevation of diplomatic relations and not the arrival date of the first ambassador.

He traced historical contacts between the Ottoman Empire and the Kanem-Borno Sultanate to the 16th century, citing archival correspondence between the Ottoman Sultan and the rulers of the sultanate.

The ambassador said the correspondence included instructions to Ottoman authorities to facilitate visits by Kanem-Borno delegations to Istanbul and protect them during their journeys.

He also recalled the Ottoman Sultan’s involvement in the opening of the Shitta Bey Mosque in Lagos in the late 19th century, including the conferment of the title “Bey” on its founder.

Mr Poroy described Nigeria as a strategic partner, saying its economic strength and regional influence made it important to security, stability and development across West Africa and the continent.

(NAN)