Nigeria Abroad
Desperate to address the rising insecurity in Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari has entered into a controversial deal with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey to keep some companies under surveillance, according to The Africa Report.
How might this affect Nigeria’s drive for Foreign Direct Investment?
Exactly five years ago, Nigeria and Turkey were embroiled in a diplomatic row.
Having just survived a coup and assassination attempt, President Erdogan was on a mission to expose and arrest all those behind the attack that claimed 300 lives. Erdogan said the coup plotters were linked to the Gulen movement, which is designated as a terrorist organisation by Turkey and led by Fethullah Gulen, a Turkish businessman and influential cleric who is in exile in the United States.
Gulen, a former ally of Erdogan, repeatedly denied these allegations. He also claimed that he didn’t know 99% of the members of his influential movement which boasts of three to six million members worldwide.
After frustrated attempts to extradite Gulen from the US, Erdogan began reaching out to several African leaders with a view to shutting all businesses linked to the Gulen movement in their countries.
On July 28, 2016, the Turkish Ambassador to Nigeria, Hakan Cakil, called on Nigeria to close 17 Turkish schools in the country with ties to the Gulen movement. “We are requesting the Nigerian government to close down the schools… I have requested officially, both orally and in writing, the closure of these schools. Also, I have sent a letter to Mr Geoffrey Onyeama (foreign minister) and Mr Abba Kyari (chief of staff to the president) about this subject and requested their support for the closure of the schools,” he said. Apart from schools, several institutions affected included hospitals and other establishments.
Coming at a time Nigeria was facing one of its worst economic downturns ever, the government was reluctant to honour such a request. Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, said, the request would not be considered until the Turkish government provided satisfactory evidence.
Turkey launches offensive
Nigeria’s unfavourable response further infuriated the Turkish government. Consequently, several Nigerian students attending Turkish schools abroad were arrested while others were deported for reasons never stated.
President Buhari’s adviser on Diaspora Affairs at the time, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, confirmed to local media that “the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the permanent secretary summoned the Turkish Ambassador immediately the information was received. While both countries are working at resolving the issue through every possible diplomatic channel, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs made it clear that such acts against Nigerians will not be accepted.”
In a bid to cut ties with Turkey following the pressure from Erdogan’s government, the businesses that were linked to Gulen in Nigeria began removing Turkey from their business names and rebranded completely although they maintained their Turkish orientation.
Some of these companies include the Nigerian Turkish International College (NTIC) with branches in Kaduna, Abuja, Kano, Yobe, Ogun and Lagos. The school changed its name to Nigerian Tulip International School. Also, the Nigeria Turkish Nile University changed its name to simply Nile University. The Nigeria Turkish Nizamiye Hospital which was patronised by Nigeria’s elite was simply changed to Nizamiye Hospital.
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