Turkish, Nigerian foreign ministers reinforce strategic partnership in Ankara meeting

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan hosted his Nigerian counterpart, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, for diplomatic talks in Ankara on Monday.

The meeting marked Foreign Minister Tuggar’s first official visit to Türkiye since his appointment, underscoring the deepening bilateral relationship.

While the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not disclose specific discussion details, the encounter reinforced the strategic partnership between the two nations.

Diplomatic relations, established in 1960, have grown substantially in recent years.

Nigeria stands as Türkiye’s largest trading partner in Sub-Saharan Africa, with bilateral trade reaching $688.4 million in the first eleven months of 2025.

Economic ties are further solidified by the presence of over 50 Turkish companies in Nigeria, representing approximately $400 million in investments.

Turkish contractors have also undertaken projects worth nearly $3 billion in the country.

Cooperation extends robustly into security and the defense industry, where Türkiye supports Nigeria’s counterterrorism efforts.

Additionally, people-to-people ties are strengthened through educational programs.

Under Türkiye’s scholarship scheme, 199 Nigerian students graduated between 1992 and 2023, with 149 more currently studying in the country, fostering long-term academic and cultural connections.

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled: Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

See author's posts