Turkish Ambassador and NiDCom chairman, Hon. Abike Dabiri Erewa
The Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey to Nigeria, Mehmet Poroy, has formally proposed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) as part of efforts to deepen cooperation on migration management and economic partnership between both countries. NIDCOM Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, in a press statement in Abuja on Thursday said the Ambassador made this known during a strategic meeting with Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO, NiDCOM, and other delegates of the Turkish Embassy and the Commission at NiDCOM's headquarters in Abuja. The MoU, between Türkiye’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB), as well as NiDCOM, is aimed at promoting mutually beneficial economic relations, increased investment, enhanced technical cooperation and job creation. He reaffirmed Türkiye’s commitment to strengthening bilateral economic ties with Nigeria. Poroy noted a significant reduction in the number of irregular Nigerian migrants in Türkiye, attributing the progress to improved cooperation between both countries. According to him, Nigeria, which previously ranked fourth among countries with the highest number of irregular migrants in Türkiye, has now fallen out of the top six. The Ambassador also disclosed that about 3,700 Nigerian students are officially registered in Türkiye, while an additional 4,600 Nigerian students are currently studying in Northern Cyprus. He highlighted a previous challenge involving the forgery of Schengen visas and falsified travel documents, commending the Nigerian Embassy for its collaboration, which has resulted in a drastic reduction in such incidents. Dabiri-Erewa reiterated the importance of sustained collaboration in addressing the challenges of illegal migration involving Nigerians in Türkiye. She stated that the proposed MoU would go through the the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Justice before being finalized, and expressed optimism on prompt implementation and tangible outcomes.
