President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will on Monday depart Abuja for a state visit to the Republic of Turkey, but the Presidency’s failure to disclose a specific return date has drawn criticism from the opposition, with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s media aide questioning what he described as “a new trend” of withholding such information.
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Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, disclosed the trip in a statement issued on Sunday, stating that “the visit is aimed at strengthening the existing cordial relations between the two countries and exploring further areas of cooperation in security, education, social development, innovation, and aviation.”
The statement recalled that Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, paid an official visit to Nigeria last October, and the current visit represents a reciprocal engagement to deepen bilateral ties between both nations.
“During President Tinubu’s visit, both countries will engage in strategic political and diplomatic discussions on shared values in finance, communication, trade and investment,” Onanuga stated.
The agenda will include meetings between high-ranking officials of both nations and the signing of memoranda of understanding (MoUs) in scientific research, energy, technical cooperation, media and communications, military cooperation and protocol, among others.
A business forum will bring together investors from both countries to explore areas of interest during the visit, providing opportunities for economic partnerships and investment deals.
Members of the President’s entourage participating in the bilateral discussions include key government officials across various sectors:
- Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar
- Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN
- Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (rtd)
- Chairman, House Committee on Defence, Hon. Jimi Benson
- Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Suleiman-Ibrahim
- Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo
- Minister of Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa
- National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu
- Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed
The broad composition of the delegation, spanning security, justice, defence, interior, foreign affairs, and economic sectors, indicates the comprehensive nature of discussions expected during the visit.
However, the Presidency did not state when President Tinubu would return to Nigeria, noting only that he “is expected to return to the country at the conclusion of the visit.”
This omission has not gone unnoticed by opposition figures and has sparked criticism about transparency in presidential travel schedules.
Paul Ibe, media aide to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has criticized the Presidency over what he described as a growing pattern of failing to disclose the return dates of President Tinubu’s foreign trips.
Reacting in a post on his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Monday, Ibe questioned the lack of transparency around the President’s travel schedule, suggesting that the omission of a return date had become a recurring trend.
“What is this new trend of not giving a date of the return of the President whenever he is travelling out?” Ibe asked.
Ibe went further to make a sarcastic remark, implying that the open-ended nature of such trips could allow for unscheduled stopovers.
He suggested the vague return timeline might be to determine “if a few days in France to lounge and drink Pina Colada with the French squad can be squeezed in.”
The comment appeared to reference previous instances where the President’s foreign trips have reportedly included extended stays or additional stops not initially disclosed to the public.
President Tinubu’s frequent foreign travels have been a subject of public discourse and criticism from opposition figures and civil society groups, who have raised concerns about the cost implications and the need for greater transparency regarding presidential movements.
Critics argue that providing specific return dates is a basic element of transparency that allows citizens to know when their president will be back in the country to attend to national matters.
Supporters of the administration, however, contend that state visits are essential for Nigeria’s diplomatic and economic interests, and that flexibility in scheduling is sometimes necessary to accommodate the demands of international engagements.
Despite the controversy over the return date disclosure, the Turkey visit represents an important diplomatic engagement for Nigeria. Turkey has emerged as a significant partner for several African nations, and President Erdogan’s visit to Nigeria in October 2025 signaled growing interest in deepening bilateral cooperation.
The signing of multiple MoUs across sectors ranging from scientific research to military cooperation indicates both countries’ commitment to translating diplomatic goodwill into concrete partnerships that could benefit their respective populations.
The business forum component of the visit is particularly significant, as it provides a platform for private sector engagement that could lead to increased trade volumes and investment flows between the two nations.
As of the time of this report, the Presidency had not responded to Ibe’s criticism or provided any additional details about President Tinubu’s expected return date from Turkey.
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