Turkey has formally requested that Nigeria include Turkish citizens in the country’s electronic visa (e-visa) system as part of efforts to simplify visa procedures and strengthen bilateral economic cooperation.
The request was made during a meeting between the Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria, Mehmet Poroy, and Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, in Abuja on Tuesday.
In a statement issued, Mary Ali, the ministry’s head of press and public relations, said Mehmet sought Turkey’s inclusion in the system to ease business travel for Turkish investors.
According to Ali, the ambassador explained that the absence of a Nigerian visa office in Istanbul poses logistical challenges for Turkish applicants, who must travel to Ankara to complete visa processes.
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“Tunji-Ojo assured that denying visas to genuine Nigerian or Turkish businesspeople is not in the interest of either country,” the statement reads.
“He emphasized the Ministry’s commitment to transparency, dialogue, and continuous improvement in visa administration, while reaffirming Nigeria’s openness to legitimate investors and international business partners.”
Discussions between the minister and the ambassador also covered issues related to faster visa processing for Nigerian business travellers to Turkey, concerns about clarity of visa requirements for Turkish investors, and the verification of key documents, including marriage certificates.
On that latter point, Tunji-Ojo clarified that all marriage certificates issued under Nigerian law are constitutionally valid and should not require additional verification when used for visa purposes. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to transparent and practical visa policies, openness to legitimate foreign investors, and broader diplomatic cooperation.
