President Tinubu and Turkish President after signing deals during recent visit
Whereas it was clear that yesterday, President Bola Tinubu and Turkish President, Mr. Erdoğan concluded bilateral talks with up to nine solid agreements covering defense, trade, education, diaspora engagement, media, diplomacy training, social development, and even halal quality infrastructure, no mention or deal was signed on criminalizing illegal arms inflow form Turkey.
Records from the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) in either Apapa of Tincan or even Onne Ports showed that majority of dangerous illegal arms and ammunitions fueling terrorism and gunmen activities come from Turkey.
The record inflow of dangerous weapons from Turkey can be traced even from when Col. Hameed Ali was Customs Chief up till now, CGC Adewale Adeniyi is in charge.
Many experts feel that the silence of both leaders on this critical security matter rubbishes the entire deals and decisions signed during the visit under review.
Business Hilights recalls that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of the Republic of Türkiye has disclosed that his country is targeting a $5 billion trade volume with Nigeria, revealing that discussions to actualise the goal have already commenced.
President Erdogan made this known on Tuesday in Ankara during a joint press briefing with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is on a State Visit to Türkiye.
According to the Turkish leader, current trade volume between both countries stands at about $2 billion. Türkiye’s exports to Nigeria include planes, helicopters, machinery, iron and steel, as well as chemical products, while Nigeria exports crude oil and agricultural products to Türkiye.
President Erdogan said the decision to establish a Joint Economy and Trade Committee would create new opportunities to expand Turkish investments in Nigeria and help both countries achieve the $5 billion trade target.
He praised President Tinubu’s commitment to Nigeria’s development, noting that the presence of several ministers and senior officials in the Nigerian delegation was a clear demonstration of strong political will.
“Today, we conducted a comprehensive review of our relations with the esteemed President and his delegation in the fields of trade, investments, energy, education and defence industry,” Erdogan said.
“Firstly, 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.
“We also discussed opportunities to support our investments in Nigeria. We believe that the Joint Economy and Trade Committee, which we agreed to establish today, will be instrumental in this regard.”
President Erdogan also commended President Tinubu’s reforms in the energy sector, describing them as key steps that have contributed to the restructuring of Nigeria’s economy. He expressed optimism that cooperation between the Turkish Petroleum Corporation and Nigerian counterparts would deliver positive outcomes.
On security, the Turkish leader pledged Türkiye’s support to Nigeria in tackling insurgency, drawing from his country’s experience in combating terrorism.
“Terrorist organisations emerging, particularly in Africa’s Sahel region, unfortunately pose a threat to the peace of the entire continent. We stand by the friendly people of Nigeria in their fight against terrorism under the leadership of President Tinubu,” Erdogan said.
He added that both leaders discussed closer cooperation in military training and intelligence sharing, stressing Türkiye’s readiness to share its expertise in counter-terrorism. Erdogan also expressed confidence that ongoing engagements between Nigerian officials and leading Turkish defence industry companies would soon yield tangible results.
