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Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria, Mehmet Poroy, says Türkiye intends to scale up its current two billion dollars trade volume with Nigeria to $5billion.

According to the Turkish envoy, during the recent visit of President Bola Tinubu to Türkiye, agreements were signed aimed at deepening Turkish-Nigeria relations in various fields.

Speaking on Tuesday during a courtesy call to the Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Malam Ali M. Ali, the ambassador described trade and investment as “the second most important part of Turkish-Nigeria relations.”

Poroy said that following the agreements signed, Türkiye was now working on scaling up its investment portfolios in Nigeria to hit five billion dollars trade volume target.

“As you know, the two Presidents have agreed to a bilateral trade of 5 billion dollars. This is the target we will work on.

“One of the tools that we will use is the joint declaration signed between the two ministers of trade. We will use it to establish a joint economic and trade council.

“So when this joint council becomes operational, we will discuss the possibilities of our trade,” he said.

The Turkish envoy disclosed that Türkiye already has an investment of about 400 million dollars in Abuja alone, besides some of its big companies operating in the southern part of Nigeria.

“So, there is a big potential here for Turkey, as well as for Nigeria, to increase this investment,” he stressed.

He also disclosed that Turkey’s total investment in Africa currently stood at about 10 billion dollars, adding that there was need to bolster bilateral trade with Nigeria, considering her huge potential.

The ambassador said that in liaison with authorities in Türkiye, he was already facilitating the procedures for obtaining Turkish visa, so that business people on both sides could get it seamlessly.

“Before coming here, I heard that people were complaining about the Turkish visa.

“Not only for Nigerian business people, but Turkish business people, who also need to come here in an easier way.

“They have also difficulties, so we are in discussion to see how we can further facilitate people-to-people contact,” he said.

Poroy said Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TICA) would soon open an office in Abuja to further increase Türkiye’s cooperation with Nigeria in the areas of education and healthcare, among many others.

He said that Turkish airlines, with seven flights in a week from Abuja to Istanbul, and four to five flights in a week from Abuja to Istanbul, is essential for Turkish-Nigeria trade.

Responding, Ali said he was deeply honoured by the ambassador’s visit, and expressed his desire to strengthen the partnership between the agency and the embassy.

He said that NAN, which was established 50 years ago, as the voice of Africa, was the biggest news content provider in West and, in deed, the African continent.

Ali recalled that NAN was in the forefront of the fight against apartheid, especially during the struggle for independence for South Africa, and the end of White minority rule.

He said that the agency took off with about 11 foreign offices, currently has offices across all the 36 states of federation, and 109 district offices in each of Nigeria’s senatorial districts.

“What the News Agency of Nigeria does is to take local news to national news and national news to the international stage.

“And that’s why we have several MoUs with foreign media partners, like the Turkish news agency, Andolu, the Indonesian news agency, the UK’s Reuters, the Chinese news agency, Xinhua, and so many others,” he said.

The NAN MD said he was delighted with the Turkish news agency over the MoU it signed with NAN a couple of years back for the exchange of news and capacity-building, saying it was mutually rewarding.

“This had culminated in a greater relationship between the news agency of Nigeria and the Turkish news agency.

“One of our colleagues here is going to be in your country later in April on invitation for an event. He’s the only one from Nigeria. So over time, our relationship has been mutually beneficial,” he said.

He said that NAN had pivoted to a multimedia platform, and had commenced broadcasting in indigenous languages, beginning with Hausa, which is the most widely spoken language in West and Central Africa.

The managing director also said that the agency would expand its operations in the long run to include other languages like French and Arabic.

He said that NAN would like to emulate the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT), which has become an alternative to Western media agencies, like the BBC, and is changing narratives.

“We are hoping that with time, long-term plan, the world becoming increasingly a global village, we will also start broadcasting in Turkish languages,” he added.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Bashir Rabe Mani

Nearly two-thirds of all maternal deaths worldwide occur in countries marked by conflict or fragility, making pregnancy more dangerous in such environments.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) and partners stated this in a report released on Tuesday.

The risk of a woman who lives in a country affected by conflict dying due to maternal causes is around five times higher for each pregnancy she undergoes compared to her peers in stable countries, according to new findings in the WHO report.

In 2023 alone, an estimated 160,000 women died from preventable maternal causes in fragile and conflict-affected settings, that is, six in 10 maternal deaths worldwide, despite these countries accounting for only around one in 10 of global live births.

The new technical brief offers analysis as to why pregnant women living in certain countries are more likely to die in childbirth and confirms what many practitioners see on the ground: crises create conditions where health systems cannot consistently deliver lifesaving maternal care.

Indeed, the intersection of gender, ethnicity, age and migration status can increase the risk women and girls face who are both pregnant and living in fragile contexts, according to the brief, produced by WHO and an inter-agency group that includes the UN agencies for development,  UNDP; sexual and reproductive health, UNFPA, and children, UNICEF, as well as the World Bank.

The disparity of risk is stark. A 15-year-old girl living in a country or territory affected by conflict in 2023 had a one in 51 lifetime risk of eventually dying from a maternal cause, compared with a one in 79 risk in a country or territory affected by institutional and social fragility, and one in 593 for a 15-year-old girl living in a relatively stable country.

The report aligns the latest maternal mortality ratio estimates with whether a country is conflict-affected or considered fragile.

Countries classified as conflict-affected had an estimated maternal mortality ratio of 504 deaths per 100,000 live births, while in countries considered institutionally and socially fragile, it was 368. In contrast, countries outside both categories saw a much lower ratio of 99.

These findings deepen the picture provided in last year’s maternal mortality estimates for 2000 through 2023, which showed that global progress has stalled and that maternal mortality remains staggeringly high in low-income and crisis-affected settings, which spurred this further analysis.

The publication also offers case studies of how frontline teams are striving to maintain maternal health services amid instability, with solutions showing that even where health systems face extreme pressure, innovative approaches can protect maternal health.

Communities are adapting services to cultural needs, health workers are restoring disrupted services, hospitals are reorganising care under security threats, and coordination mechanisms are evolving to ensure continuity of care.

For example, in Ethiopia, the emphasis is on practical measures that help restore services after disruption by re-establishing continuity of care through mobile teams, renovated facilities, and additional midwives.

“In Haiti, efforts demonstrate the importance of removing cost and infrastructure barriers, with free or low-cost caesarean sections and reliable electricity power, making lifesaving care available to displaced women who would otherwise have no access.”

By linking maternal mortality ratio data to the fragility classification, WHO and partners now have a more precise tool to identify where health system strengthening is most urgently needed.

The brief emphasises the importance of investing in primary healthcare to maintain essential maternal services during crises; strengthening data collection in hard-to-reach settings to ensure no deaths go uncounted.

It also emphasises supporting resilient health system design, able to absorb and adapt to shocks

Together, these efforts can help accelerate progress toward reducing preventable maternal deaths, even in the world’s most challenging environments, according to the UN health agency (NAN) (www.nannew.ng)

Edited by Sadiya Hamza

 

The might of the Indian Navy and partner navies from across the globe was on full display on Wednesday as President Droupadi Murmu of India, reviewed the International Fleet Review (IFR) 2026 off the coast of Visakhapatnam.

Sailing aboard INS Sumedha, the Presidential Yacht, Murmu, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces — inspected 72 frontline ships and submarines drawn from the Indian Navy and friendly foreign navies.

She was accompanied by Andhra Pradesh Governor S. Abdul Nazeer, Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu and Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh Tripathi, alongside other senior dignitaries.

This marks the 13th Fleet Review since India’s Independence and the third international edition hosted by the country, with about 70 nations participating in the grand maritime showcase.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that India previously hosted the event in Mumbai in 2001 and in Visakhapatnam in 2016.

Themed “United Through Oceans,” the 2026 edition returns to Visakhapatnam a decade later, reflecting India’s expanding maritime footprint and growing indigenous capabilities.

NAN reports that ships dressed in full regalia and manned by smartly turned-out officers and sailors rendered honours to the President before steaming past the Presidential Yacht in a synchronised sail-past.

Some of the highlights of the event was India’s indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, alongside formidable destroyers and frigates such as INS Chennai, INS Visakhapatnam, INS Mysore and INS Mumbai.

Also, submarines including INS Sindhukesari, INS Shankul and INS Sindhukerti also featured prominently in the review columns.

The spectacle underscored India’s steady march towards self-reliance in defence production and its commitment to maritime security, interoperability and cooperative engagement with friendly navies.

For thousands who witnessed the ceremony along the Vizag coast, the review was not just a display of sea power but a moment of national pride and maritime confidence.

Furthermore, the attendance and participation of allied nations including the U.S, Russia, Nigeria among others, demonstrated India’s resolve to enhance maritime security and economy, not just in its coastal lines but globally.

Inbher remarks, President Droupadi Murmu, said that the Indian Navy was vigilant in safeguarding the country’s maritime interests and contributing to stability across wider maritime commerce.

Murmu said the Indian navy was deployed in the region to serve as a credible instrument of deterrence and defence against threats and challenges arising in the sea.

“Indian Navy is vigilant in safeguarding India’s maritime interests and is contributing to stability across wider maritime commerce,” she said.

The President added that the Indian navy had continued to play a vital role in promoting goodwill and building bridges of trust, confidence and friendship with navies around the globe.

The 2026 IFR is said to be the largest ever in India and one of the largest in the world. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Sadiya Hamza

 

The Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria, Mehmet Poroy, says President Bola Tinubu’s recent state visit to Ankara, the Turkish capital, from Jan. 27 to 28, was a milestone in Nigeria-Türkiye relations.

Ambassador Poroy stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

He said the visit marked a new era for the deepening of bilateral relations, and also demonstrated the strong will of both countries to further advance relations across different fields.

Poroy said the visit also marked the first bilateral presidential visit from Nigeria to Türkiye in the last nine years, and the first since Türkiye’s President Recep Erdoğan visited Nigeria in 2021.

“It is very important as it constitutes President Tinubu’s first visit to our country.

“During the visit, nine agreements and memoranda of understanding were signed in areas of security, education, trade, media, halal accreditation, population and diaspora policies.

“It was also confirmed in the meetings that both sides share a common desire to implement them swiftly and effectively in a manner that benefits both parties,” he said.

The ambassador disclosed that during the meetings, held under the chairmanship of the two presidents, the ways to further deepen close cooperation across different areas were discussed.

He added that cooperation in the fields of security and the fight against terrorism was given particular emphasis.

The Turkish envoy said Türkiye’s readiness to provide all necessary support to Nigeria in its fight against terrorism was also expressed at the highest level.

“It can be said that we have entered into a new period of closer cooperation in the field of military collaboration, as relevant ministers discussed concrete steps that could be taken together in this field.

“We foresee that our productive cooperation in the field of defence industry will continue to grow, through joint local production facilities, in addition to the supply of critical defence systems,” he said.

The envoy said that in the commercial sphere, a bilateral trade volume target of $5 billion, which was initially set during Erdoğan’s visit to Nigeria in 2021, was reaffirmed.

He said that the details of what needed to be done to reach the trade volume target was also discussed.

“The most important development in this regard was the signing of the Joint Declaration establishing the Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO).

“Once this Committee becomes operational, obstacles hindering the advancement of our trade and mutual investments will be addressed institutionally and effective solutions will be produced,” he said.

He said that three separate agreements in the field of education were also signed during the visit, indicating the desire to intensify cooperation in education, going forward.

“We consider the approximately 3,500 Nigerian students studying in our country as an important factor that strengthens our bonds of friendship,” he said.

Poroy also highlighted the agreement signed between the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Diplomacy Academy and the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Foreign Service Academy.

According to him, by this development, it will become easier for young diplomats from Nigeria to participate in training programmes in Türkiye, and vice versa.

“It was also agreed that information and experience would be exchanged, and cooperation enhanced in the field of diaspora between our countries, both of which have sizeable diaspora populations.

“Therefore, these agreements can also be seen as important investments in the future of our diplomatic relations,” he added.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria, Mehmet Poroy, says Türkiye has a special interest in Nigeria because the two countries are confronted with similar existential challenges in the fight against terrorism.

Poroy made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, saying the two countries have a shared interest in working out effective counterterrorism strategies to tackle terrorism.

The ambassador said Türkiye successfully fought various terrorist organisations over the years, gaining significant experience, which it was now willing to share with Nigeria, alongside its capabilities and resources.

He said that Nigeria’s success in the fight against terrorism would be crucial to the stability of the entire West African sub-region, and Africa as a whole.

“What makes Nigeria very special, from our perspective, is that our countries face similar challenges.

“We have fought various terrorist organisations for years and gained significant experience and success. Nigeria is also fighting several terrorist organisations, primarily Boko Haram and ISWAP.

“Therefore, we want to support Nigeria in this area by sharing our experience, capabilities, and resources,” he said.

Poroy also disclosed that Türkiye has developed its defence industry to counter sources of insecurity in the country and the surrounding region.

This, he said, helped Türkiye’s armed forces to eliminate terrorism threat, adding that such can be replicated in Nigeria through the close cooperation between the two countries in terms of defence industry.

“We are working with our Nigerian counterparts to deepen military cooperation in this regard, as our president had expressed that we stand by Nigeria in its fight against terrorism.

“In addition to providing military equipment and critical systems, our companies also work with Nigerian authorities for joint local production of equipment in Nigeria,” Poroy said.

He said Türkiye was also attracted to Nigeria due to its significant status as West Africa’s biggest economy, and Africa’s fourth largest economy, which no nation can take for granted.

The ambassador said Nigeria was also of strategic importance to Türkiye because of its high population of more than 230 million, with great economic potential, and a compelling need to expand economic cooperation.

“As the biggest country in the continent, Türkiye sees Nigeria as an important strategic partner.

“Today, we continue to view Nigeria as an important, strategic partner,” he stressed.

The Turkish envoy recalled that his country’s relationship with Nigeria dated back to the 16th century, during the contacts between the Ottoman Empire and the Kanem-Bornu Empire.

“Our opening of an Embassy here on November 9, 1960, immediately after Nigeria gained independence, reflects the importance we have attached to our relations with Nigeria in the past,” he said.(NAN)(nannews.ng)