President Bola Tinubu on Thursday welcomed the President of Chad, Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, at the State House in Abuja at about 2 p.m.
The visit marks Déby’s first official engagement in Nigeria since Tinubu attended his inauguration in N’Djamena on May 23, 2024.
Déby, 42, rose to power after the death of his father, President Idriss Déby Itno, who was killed by rebels on April 20, 2021, while leading troops during the Northern Chad offensive. Following his father’s death, he was immediately declared head of a Transitional Military Council and pledged to return the country to civilian governance within 18 months.
However, the transition timeline was later extended. Déby was sworn in as transitional president in October 2022 and subsequently secured victory in the presidential election held in May 2024.
The meeting in Abuja comes less than a week after Tinubu received the Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Terrance Drew, on March 26, 2026, making the Chadian leader the second head of state hosted by the Nigerian President within the space of one week.
As of the time this report was filed, details of the discussions between both leaders had not been disclosed. Nonetheless, sources within the Presidency indicated that the talks were expected to centre on regional security, especially collaborative efforts to tackle terrorism in the Lake Chad Basin, which includes Nigeria, Chad, Niger, and Cameroon.
Chad has continued to play a significant role in Nigeria’s fight against Boko Haram and Islamic State-linked groups operating in the region.
The meeting is also taking place amid shifts in regional security dynamics, particularly following Chad’s withdrawal from French military agreements in November 2024, alongside the exit of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger from both the G5 Sahel and ECOWAS.
Tinubu had earlier attended Déby’s inauguration in May 2024. Prior to that, Déby visited Nigeria in July 2023 at Tinubu’s invitation, then in his capacity as ECOWAS Chairman, to help address the political crisis in Niger after the military coup that removed President Mohamed Bazoum.
In January 2026, Déby received the 2026 African Peace Prize in recognition of his role in overseeing Chad’s political transition and supporting Sudanese refugees fleeing the conflict in neighbouring Sudan.
Further cementing his position, Chad’s National Transitional Council elevated him to the rank of Marshal in December 2024—the highest military honour in the country—making him only the second individual to attain the title after his father.
Nigeria and Chad maintain longstanding relations rooted in shared history, cultural links, and economic cooperation, particularly through cross-border trade and joint security initiatives targeting insurgent groups in the Lake Chad region.
The Lake Chad Basin has endured over a decade of insurgency, with Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province carrying out attacks across Nigeria, Chad, Niger, and Cameroon.
(PUNCH)
