Bola Tinubu on Thursday received the President of Chad, Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, at the State House in Abuja during a high-level meeting focused on bilateral and regional issues.
The visit marks Déby’s first official trip to Nigeria since Tinubu attended his inauguration in N’Djamena on May 23, 2024.
Déby, 42, assumed power following the death of his father, Idriss Déby Itno, who was killed by rebels in April 2021 while leading troops on the frontline. He was subsequently installed as head of a Transitional Military Council, initially pledging to return the country to civilian rule within 18 months.
The transition period was later extended, and Déby was sworn in as transitional president in October 2022 before securing victory in the May 2024 presidential election.
Thursday’s meeting comes just days after Tinubu hosted the Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Terrance Drew, making Déby the second foreign leader received by the Nigerian president within a week.
Although official details of the discussions were not disclosed, sources indicated that talks were likely centred on regional security, particularly efforts to combat terrorism in the Lake Chad Basin, a region shared by Nigeria, Chad, Niger, and Cameroon.
Chad remains a key partner in Nigeria’s fight against insurgent groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province, which have carried out attacks across the region for over a decade.
The meeting also comes amid shifts in regional security alliances, following Chad’s withdrawal from French military agreements in November 2024 and the exit of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger from regional blocs.
Nigeria and Chad maintain longstanding diplomatic, economic, and security ties, including cooperation on cross-border trade and joint military operations.
As of the time of filing this report, the meeting between the two leaders was ongoing.
