The Presidency has stated that President Bola Tinubu’s recent working visit to Ankara, Türkiye, was driven by concrete economic and diplomatic objectives.

The engagement resulted in commitments expected to raise bilateral trade between Nigeria and Türkiye to $5 billion.

It also deepened cooperation across strategic sectors.

Special Assistant to the President on Social Media, Dada Olusegun, made this known while reflecting on the outcome of the visit via his X handle.

He noted that although domestic attention briefly focused on a momentary ceremonial misstep during a guard inspection, the real substance of the trip was in high-level negotiations.

Those negotiations produced nine Memoranda of Understanding covering defence, education, diplomacy, media, and economic cooperation.

Olusegun explained that the visit was designed as a strategic working mission, not merely a symbolic outing.

It is fully aligned with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises economic diversification, security reform, and the attraction of foreign direct investment.

The presidential aide emphasised that officials and media in Türkiye concentrated mainly on the activation of the Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO).

JETCO is a bilateral mechanism created to institutionalise trade and investment flows between the two nations.

He described it as a major outcome with long-term implications for exporters and investors.

The Presidency further highlighted that Türkiye remains a critical partner for Nigeria in defence manufacturing, infrastructure delivery, and industrial development.

These sectors are considered vital to ongoing national reforms.

Agreements reached in Ankara include military cooperation, export facilitation through halal quality infrastructure, academic and diplomatic training exchanges, diaspora engagement, media collaboration, and social services coordination.

“These frameworks represent structured cooperation, not ceremonial declarations,” Olusegun said, adding that implementation would proceed alongside ongoing domestic reforms in the energy and investment policy sectors.

He urged a shift in public discourse from fleeting moments to measurable outcomes.

The aide stressed that the real value of international engagements lies in the economic and institutional gains they deliver rather than the optics surrounding them.

Reaffirming the administration’s commitment to sustained economic diplomacy, the Presidency maintained that the Türkiye visit underscores President Tinubu’s focus on long-term national advancement and trade expansion despite distractions.

It noted that the projected increase in bilateral trade reflects renewed confidence in Nigeria’s global economic positioning.