Tinubu Hosts Chad’s President Déby at Aso Rock, Reasons Emerge
- President Bola Tinubu had received Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno at the State House in Abuja for high level bilateral talks
- The visit had marked Déby’s first official trip to Nigeria since his inauguration in May 2024
- Discussions had been expected to focus on regional security cooperation in the Lake Chad Basin
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President Bola Tinubu on Thursday hosted his Chadian counterpart, Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, at the State House in Abuja, marking a high level diplomatic engagement between the two neighbouring countries.
The meeting took place at about 2 pm at the Aso Rock Villa and underscored renewed bilateral consultations at the highest political level.
The visit was Déby’s first official trip to Nigeria since Tinubu attended his inauguration in N’Djamena in May 2024. It also came days after the Nigerian leader received the Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, placing Déby as the second foreign leader welcomed by Tinubu within a week.
First official visit since inauguration
Déby, 42, rose to national leadership following the death of his father, President Idriss Déby Itno, who was killed in April 2021 during clashes with rebel forces in northern Chad. He was subsequently declared head of a Transitional Military Council and pledged a return to civilian rule. The transition period was later extended, and he was sworn in as transitional president in October 2022 before winning the May 2024 presidential election.
While details of Thursday’s closed door talks were not released, sources familiar with the meeting said discussions were expected to centre on regional security cooperation. Nigeria and Chad are frontline states in efforts to counter terrorism in the Lake Chad Basin, a region that has endured years of insurgency.
Regional security dominates agenda
Chad has played a significant role in joint military operations against Boko Haram and Islamic State linked groups operating across Nigeria, Chad, Niger, and Cameroon. The meeting took place against the backdrop of shifting security alliances in the Sahel following Chad’s withdrawal from French military agreements in November 2024 and the exit of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger from regional blocs.
Déby previously visited Nigeria in July 2023 at Tinubu’s invitation to help mediate the political crisis in Niger after the military coup that removed President Mohamed Bazoum.
Deepening historical ties
In January 2026, Déby received the African Peace Prize in recognition of his role in Chad’s political transition and support for Sudanese refugees fleeing conflict. He was also elevated to the rank of Marshal in December 2024, becoming only the second person in Chad’s history to hold the title.
Nigeria and Chad maintain long standing ties rooted in cross border trade, shared communities, and joint security challenges. Both countries continue to face threats from armed groups in the Lake Chad Basin, where insurgency has disrupted livelihoods for more than a decade.
Source: Legit.ng
