▪︎ Hidayet Bayraktar calls for enhanced collaboration on culture, tourism, terrorism fight
Goodbyes are meant for deep reflections on what was once shared, and although they make us so emotional at times, they are undoubtedly inevitable. This is the case as Turkiye Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency, Amb. Hidayet Bayraktar, completes his 4-year tenure and prepares to bid farewell to the most populous black nation.
Amb. Bayraktar was in Lagos between Wednesday, 12th and Sunday, 16th February for his final visit to Nigeria’s commercial capital and met with different stakeholders and groups who have, in different ways, been instrumental to his successes since his assumption of office in Nigeria on 16th April 2021.
Top on the list was his meeting with Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu where they exchanged ideas on various issues, including trade and cultural exchange, as well as potential partnerships in areas of tourism, education and so on.
The Turkiye envoy, who began his diplomatic career in 1989, also visited the Dangote Refinery and Petrochemical Company Ltd. where he met with Africa’s richest man, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Chairman, Dangote Group of Companies.
He noted that the scale of investment at the facility located at the Free Trade Zone, Ibeju Lekki, Lagos, can change the future of Nigeria.
“The main resource over here in Nigeria is petrol, and if you use the resource well, the wealth will be shared among the people. I think Dangote has the vision to do this, and I hope he would succeed. I wish the best for Nigerians and insha ‘Allah they will have a better future.”
The Ambassador paid courtesy visits to Turkiye’s firms in Lagos, and also hosted the renowned Muhammad Shitta-Bey family and the Muslim News Team, who have supported in promoting the laudable educational, humanitarian programmes of the Turkiye government over the years in Nigeria.
Amb. Bayraktar received the Muslim News Team led by its Publisher, Rasheed Abubakar and other Editorial Board members at the Eko Hotel & Suites, Lagos, on Sunday, February 16th, 2025. The team included Alhaji Tajudeen Adebanjo, Shakirah Adunola, Zulaykha Abodunrin and AbdulWaheed Shotonwa.
Nigeria, a beautiful country with potential
Bayraktar described Nigeria as a beautiful country with immense potentials, saying he would deeply miss the most populous country in Africa and the wonderful people of Nigeria.
According to him, “The people are very nice. I would miss them. What is important, of course, is to know Nigerians and to understand them. Once you know them, your friendship becomes very strong. You have a bond. This is what I can say about Nigeria and my friendship with Nigerians. It’s a beautiful country. It is huge, immense and diverse. I wish the best for the country.”
Amb. Bayraktar, who visited different states including Kano, Jigawa, Akwa-Ibom, Ekiti, Edo, Taraba, and Lagos during his official assignment, said Nigeria is a huge country and should harness its economy, population and richness for greater development.
He called on Nigerians to tap into agricultural sector, especially in the rural area, which he considered as one of the biggest opportunities in Nigeria. He however said for this to be sustainable, there is need to embrace technology.
Nigeria, Turkiye share similar cultures
A graduate of International Relations from the Faculty of Political Sciences, Ankara University, Hidayet Bayraktar said Turkiye and Nigeria share similar diverse cultures, noting that people of the two countries regard the family as very important.
He said the Turkish nationals in Nigeria enjoy the Nigerian environment, and that some of them have even taken the step of marrying Nigerians.
“It’s a beautiful country. You have more potentials than you think. There’s so much to be done over here. Nigeria has a fertile land and the soil is very rich for agriculture, for cultivation. Of course, you have the manpower. You only need to invest in vocational training for the youngsters.
“As I said, you have the intellectual capacity. You have the Deputy Secretary-General at the UN (Hajia Aminah Mohammad), Director General at the World Trade Organisation (Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala), among others in the world stage.
“I think Nigeria needs to take this credit accordingly. The weight of Nigeria in Africa is huge. The economy, population and its richness from the North to the South. You need to take the benefit from this and do more. These are things that you can achieve. Every country achieves this, so why not Nigeria. Just do more work, more determination, you can do it,” he said.
Promotion of cultural understanding
Amb. Bayraktar stated that one of the strategies he adopted in promoting mutual cultural understanding is providing the platform for Nigerian artistes to showcase their art.
“As an embassy, I try to promote the young Nigerian artistes. I give them the opportunity to show their art in our embassy and especially for the foreigners. Nigerians themselves who live in Abuja have the opportunity to see the exhibition of Turkiye. This has promoted the understanding of culture, for us to know each other, especially in the area of culture.”
His mandate in Nigeria as Envoy
While speaking on his mandate at the Turkish Embassy in Abuja, Amb. Bayraktar said his responsibility was to promote the relationship between Turkiye and Nigeria.
“Our aim is to promote the relationship between the two countries, politically, economically, socially, defence-wise, and of course, to take care of the rights of Turkish citizens and companies over here. This is our aim, this is our job, this is the mandate of the embassy. And we’ve done it,” he said.
Amb. Bayraktar recalled the 2-day visit of Turkiye President, Recep Tayip Erdogan, to Nigeria in 2021, few months after he assumed office as Ambassador, during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
He noted that the meeting between the two leaders highlighted the purpose of his mission in Nigeria as an envoy.
According to him, there was the signing of eight Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and agreements between the two countries including energy, defense industry and hydrocarbons, among others. Also, agreements that would drive Turkish investors to Nigeria were deliberated upon, saying his expectation is for the Nigerian government to accelerate things on their side.
The agreements awaiting ratification are on Reciprocal Promotion and Protection of Investments (2011) and Avoidance of Double Taxation (2021). My expectation from the Nigerian side is to make things faster. We have signed these agreements and it was supposed to commence immediately but we are still waiting for implementation.
“These are very key agreements for the business community. If we have these agreements, the traders on the commercial and the investment sides will do more businesses here. The Nigerian business community will also benefit from this.
“This is a huge market. You have 230 million population. By 2050, Nigeria is expected to be the third most populous country in the world, after India and China. So, these are important things because you have a young generation. The young generation needs work and employment. Of course, you need investment for them to get a job and to have better welfare,” he said.
Collaboration in combating terrorism, joint military training
Amb Bayraktar stressed the existing collaboration on combating terrorism between Turkiye and Nigeria, saying President Erdogan’s led government supports Nigeria in terms of national security
According to him, “I will say the Nigerian defense industry has done very well. Of course, Both countries are regional powers in their respective areas and they have the same challenges: terrorism, insecurity. Thus, we’re collaborating to strengthen the security architecture of the two countries.
“The Nigerian defense industry has acquired unmanned Aerial Vehicles, attack helicopters from Turkiye, among other military gadgets. It’s part of the collaboration for Nigerian army to go to Turkiye to train. We have pilots, technicians too, trained in Turkiye. It’s a huge investment for both countries, and of course, a long term collaboration.
“You know, Turkiye started to build its own military gadgets, and it has been proven to be the best. Maybe in the future, we can share our technology with Nigeria, similar to what we did in Indonesia where both countries agreed to establish a joint venture to develop unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for military use in the Southeast Asian nation. This will further empower many Nigerians and reduce the problem of brain drain,” he added.
