President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday left Abuja for Istanbul, Turkey, to attend the third Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit, hosted by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of the Republic of Turkey.
Buhari, according to a statement by his spokesman, Garba Shehu, was accompanied on the trip by his wife, Aisha; the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; the Minister of Defence, Bashir Magashi; the Minister of the FCT, Mohammed Bello; the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire; the Minister of Agriculture, Mohammed Abubakar and the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Adeniyi Adebayo.
Also on the trip were the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Ahmed Rufai Abubakar.
Shehu said the summit, with the theme ‘Enhanced Partnership for Common Development and Prosperity’ would, among others, review the cooperation between African countries and Turkey since the last summit in 2014.
Shehu said the third Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit was coming on the heels of President Erdogan’s recent state visit to Nigeria during which several agreements in the fields of energy, defence industry, mining and hydrocarbons were signed to expand existing bilateral ties.
He said the Nigerian delegation would enhance cooperation with other partners for more trade and investment opportunities in the country.
“The president is expected back in Abuja on Sunday, December 19,” Shehu said.