Turkey is set to establish a visa application centre in Kano, Nigeria, aimed at strengthening bilateral trade and investment between the two countries.
The Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria, Mehmet Poroy, announced this plan during a meeting with the Kano business community, citing efforts to increase people-to-people contact and facilitate business travel.
The centre will enable businesspeople in Kano and surrounding areas to process travel documents locally, eliminating the need to travel to Abuja.
The move is part of follow-up efforts after President Bola Tinubu’s visit to Turkey in January 2026, where agreements were reached to expand trade relations.
The target is to increase bilateral trade volume from $2 billion to $5 billion, with Kano playing a strategic role due to its strong export base.
The Chairman of the Nigerian-Turkey Business Council, Dele Kelvin Oye, noted that the visit builds on recent diplomatic and economic engagements between both countries aimed at strengthening cooperation.
“We are not just here for trade; we are here for trade and investment. Kano has the capacity to scale up its export contributions significantly,” he said.
Oye also pointed out that investors are targeting sectors where existing challenges can be converted into viable economic opportunities, particularly within the industrial sector.
In his remarks, the President of KACCIMA, Usman Darma, welcomed the initiative, saying the planned visa centre would help resolve long-standing challenges faced by business people in securing travel documents.
He added that the development is in line with existing bilateral agreements and is expected to strengthen cooperation in key sectors such as agriculture, industry, and energy.
Darma further disclosed that talks are ongoing regarding prospective investments, as well as strategies to address trade-related issues, including payment systems.
