MARCEL MBAMALU
If Nigeria hits its $5 billion trade target with Türkiye, there’s one name Nigerian and Turkish business leaders say deserves the first toast: Sefa Akyol.
The outgoing Turkish Commercial Counsellor in Abuja was celebrated on Sunday at a send-forth dinner where diplomats and CEOs credited him with turning years of diplomatic talk into measurable trade deals.
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Join our WhatsApp Channel“He didn’t just open doors. He built a highway,” said Dele Kelvin Oye, Chairman of the Nigeria Türkiye Business Council, NTBC, and Chairman of the Alliance for Economic Research and Ethics, AERE.
From Vision to Volume
When Akyol arrived in Abuja, the $5 billion bilateral trade goal existed mostly on paper. Three years later, that number is now within reach, driven by what Oye called “proactive economic diplomacy” that bridged Nigerian and Turkish businesses.
The breakthrough wasn’t a single mega-deal. It was coordination.
Akyol aligned three key institutions that had operated in silos for years: NTBC, the Foreign Economic Relations Board of Türkiye, DEİK, and the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, NACCIMA.
“By facilitating high-level dialogues, trade missions, and business summits, he ensured the three didn’t work as parallel entities, but as one integrated engine for growth,” Oye said.
Deals, Not Just Handshakes
Under Akyol’s watch, Nigeria and Türkiye signed landmark agreements spanning manufacturing, energy, and agriculture. Turkish investors increased presence in Nigeria’s industrial zones while Nigerian exporters gained access to Turkish supply chains in Europe and the Middle East.
But Oye insists Akyol’s real legacy isn’t in spreadsheets.
“Beyond the statistics and formal agreements, his true legacy lies in the relationships he has nurtured. He fostered mutual trust and respect, the bedrock of any enduring partnership,” Oye told guests at the Abuja dinner.
A Template for Economic Diplomacy
Trade between Nigeria and Türkiye has grown steadily over the last decade, but analysts say Akyol’s tenure marks a shift from transactional to institutional. He attended roundtables, backed joint initiatives, and showed up at events where deals are actually made.
“As you embark on the next chapter of your career, know that you leave behind a stronger, more vibrant economic partnership,” Oye said. “The seeds of cooperation you have sown will continue to yield fruitful harvests.”
Why It Matters Now
With Nigeria under pressure to diversify exports and attract non-oil FDI, the Türkiye partnership is being watched as a template for how targeted commercial diplomacy can unlock real money. The $5 billion target is no longer aspirational. It’s a countdown.
Akyol’s next posting hasn’t been announced. But for Nigerian exporters and Turkish investors already in the pipeline, the framework he leaves behind is expected to outlast his tenure.
Dr. Marcel Mbamalu is a distinguished communication scholar, journalist, and entrepreneur with three decades of experience in the media industry. He holds a Ph.D. in Mass Communication from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and serves as the publisher of Prime Business Africa, a renowned multimedia news platform catering to Nigeria and Africa's socio-economic needs.
Dr. Mbamalu's journalism career spans over two decades, during which he honed his skills at The Guardian Newspaper, rising to the position of senior editor. Notably, between 2018 and 2023, he collaborated with the World Health Organization (WHO) in Northeast Nigeria, training senior journalists on conflict reporting and health journalism.
Dr. Mbamalu's expertise has earned him international recognition. He was the sole African representative at the 2023 Jefferson Fellowship program, participating in a study tour of the United States and Asia (Japan and Hong Kong) on inclusion, income gaps, and migration issues.
In 2020, he was part of a global media team that covered the United States presidential election.
Dr. Mbamalu has attended prestigious media trainings, including the Bloomberg Financial Journalism Training and the Reuters/AfDB Training on "Effective Coverage of Infrastructural Development in Africa."
As a columnist for The Punch Newspaper, with insightful articles published in other prominent Nigerian dailies, including ThisDay, Leadership, The Sun, and The Guardian, Dr. Mbamalu regularly provides in-depth analysis on socio-political and economic issues.
