By George Omagbemi
The Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria, Mehmet Poroy, has announced plans to increase bilateral trade between Türkiye and Nigeria from its current estimated value of $2 billion to $5 billion.
Poroy disclosed this on Monday, November 9, 2026, during a meeting with journalists in Abuja to commemorate the 66th anniversary of the elevation of diplomatic relations between the two countries to ambassadorial level.
He said the $5 billion target followed discussions between President Bola Tinubu and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğa during Tinubu’s state visit to Türkiye earlier this year.
According to the ambassador, the visit, which included nine Nigerian ministers, led to the signing of nine agreements and memoranda of understanding covering various areas of cooperation.
“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,” Poroy said.
He explained that the existing trade volume, estimated at approximately $2 billion, includes oil and gas but remains below the economic potential of both countries.
Poroy disclosed that Türkiye’s total trade with African countries stood at approximately $37 billion, describing the figure as an indication of the opportunity to expand commercial relations with Nigeria.
He said the Turkish Embassy had engaged chambers of commerce in Abuja, Kano, Kaduna and Lagos to identify practical opportunities for businesses in both countries.
The envoy also highlighted efforts to simplify visa procedures for businesspeople, promote direct business partnerships and strengthen investment cooperation.
Beyond trade, Poroy said Türkiye was working with Nigeria to enhance military capacity through equipment supplies, training and possible local production facilities.
The proposed expansion is expected to deepen economic, commercial and security cooperation between the two countries.
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