President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday briefly stumbled during a ceremonial reception parade in Türkiye, moments after his arrival at the parade ground visit aimed at strengthening diplomatic and economic ties between the Nigerian and Turkish governments.
The incident occurred at the parade ground during a formal guard of honour organised by Turkish authorities to welcome the Nigerian leader. As Tinubu joined the ceremonial march past, he momentarily lost his balance and stumbled, drawing brief attention from attendees before quickly regaining composure and continuing with the programme.
Footage of the moment circulated widely on social media shortly after, sparking public discussion, and the Presidency has since confirmed that the President was not injured and remained in good condition throughout the event.
Tinubu proceeded with the scheduled engagements without disruption, including bilateral meetings with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and other top government officials. The visit is focused on deepening cooperation in critical sectors such as security, trade, investment, defence, education, innovation, aviation, and energy.
The state visit also features the signing of multiple memoranda of understanding between Nigeria and Türkiye, as well as high-level political and diplomatic discussions aimed at expanding economic partnerships and strengthening strategic relations between the two countries.
Senior Nigerian officials accompanying the President include the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Defence, Finance, Interior, and Solid Minerals Development, as well as the National Security Adviser and other key government figures.
Samuel Aina