• Nigeria and Turkey signed eight legal instruments and a joint declaration on January 27, 2026.
• The agreements cover diaspora policy, media, higher education, halal infrastructure, defense, and education.
• Turkey aims to raise bilateral trade to $5 billion from about $2 billion.

Nigeria and Turkey signed eight legal instruments and a joint declaration on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, during a visit by Nigerian President Bola Tinubu to Ankara, according to a statement from the Nigerian presidency.

The agreements include six memorandums of understanding covering cooperation on diaspora policy, media and communication, higher education, and halal quality infrastructure. The two countries also signed a military cooperation protocol and an education cooperation agreement. In addition, both sides signed a joint declaration establishing the Joint Economic and Trade Commission, known as JETCO, to boost trade and investment flows.

During the State Visit today in Ankara, Türkiye, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and I reaffirmed our shared ambition, which speaks directly to jobs, investment, and opportunity for our people, creating a clear pathway to a five-billion-dollar trade volume between Nigeria and… pic.twitter.com/q46vNmUn6q

— Bola Ahmed Tinubu (@officialABAT) January 27, 2026

“President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and I reaffirmed our shared ambition, which directly translates into job creation, investment, and opportunities for our people, thereby paving the way for a trade volume of five billion dollars,” the Nigerian president said.

The signing marks a significant step in the rapprochement between Ankara and Abuja and sets the stage for intensified economic, cultural, and political exchanges in the coming years. President Erdoğan said Turkey aims to lift trade with Nigeria to $5 billion from around $2 billion and added that discussions to achieve that goal have already begun.

Diplomatic and economic relations between the two countries have steadily expanded over the decades. Turkey exports aircraft, helicopters, machinery, iron and steel, and chemical products to Nigeria, while Nigeria exports crude oil and agricultural products to Turkey.

This article was initially published in French by Lydie Mobio

Adapted in English by Ange J.A de BERRY QUENUM