President Tinubu Shrugs Off Turkey Stumble to Focus on Mega Bilateral Deals

A minor misstep on a Turkish carpet wasn’t enough to slow down Nigeria’s diplomatic momentum. President Bola Tinubu has brushed off a brief stumble during his high-profile reception in Ankara, with his team insisting the “fleeting incident” has done nothing to dampen his mission to bring home new investments.

While walking alongside his Turkish counterpart, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, for a ceremonial guard of honor, Tinubu momentarily lost his footing. Viral clips showed the 73-year-old leader being quickly assisted by aides after what appeared to be a trip over a metal fitting on the parade ground.

However, rather than retreating for a check-up, the President went straight into high-level talks, proving he was more interested in “Blue Economy” deals than the blue carpet he tripped on.

“The President is in great shape,” said Sunday Dare, Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication. “He missed a step very briefly but has continued his bilateral meetings as planned. It was a stately welcome, and the work hasn’t stopped for a second.”

The trip is far from a vacation. Tinubu is leading a heavy-hitting delegation including the Ministers of Finance, Defense, and Foreign Affairs to finalize massive agreements in security and technology. With trade between the two nations already hitting nearly $900 million, this visit is designed to skyrocket those numbers by tapping into Turkish expertise in defense and scientific research.

In Abuja, the Presidency was quick to tell critics not to “make mischief” out of a simple stumble. They emphasized that the President remains fully focused on his “Renewed Hope” agenda, using the Turkey visit to secure the kind of military and economic support Nigeria needs to tackle internal security and power issues.

As the President prepares for a joint press conference with Erdoğan later this week, the message from Ankara is clear: a small trip won’t stop the big plans Nigeria has on the global stage.