By Our Correspondent
National News – President Bola Tinubu on Thursday, April 2, 2026, officially received Chad’s President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja.
This marks Déby’s first formal visit to Nigeria since Tinubu attended his inauguration in N’Djamena, Chad, on May 23, 2024.
Déby, 42, succeeded his late father, President Idriss Déby Itno, who was killed in April 2021 during a military offensive in Northern Chad.
Initially leading a Transitional Military Council, Déby promised a civilian transition within 18 months, later extended, and won the presidential election in May 2024.
The Aso Rock meeting comes just a week after Tinubu hosted Prime Minister Terrance Drew of St. Kitts and Nevis on March 26, 2026, making Déby the second visiting head of state within the same week.
Although official details of the discussions remain undisclosed, sources suggest the dialogue focused on regional security and counterterrorism efforts in the Lake Chad Basin, a shared area between Nigeria, Chad, Niger, and Cameroon.
Chad remains a critical partner in Nigeria’s fight against Boko Haram and Islamic State-linked groups.
Déby has previously engaged Nigeria diplomatically, visiting in July 2023 to mediate the Niger political crisis after the military coup ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.
In January 2026, he received the African Peace Prize for stabilizing Chad and aiding Sudanese refugees.
In December 2024, Chad’s National Transitional Council awarded Déby the title of Marshal, the nation’s highest military honor.
The meeting also coincides with Chad’s strategic repositioning in regional security following its withdrawal from French military agreements in November 2024, alongside Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger’s exit from the G5 Sahel and ECOWAS.
Both Nigeria and Chad share longstanding historical, cultural, and economic ties, including significant cross-border trade and joint security measures against Lake Chad terrorist threats.
As of reporting, discussions between President Tinubu and President Déby were ongoing, underscoring Nigeria’s commitment to regional peace and security.
