News Desk
The United States President Joe Biden met with Nigerian President Bola Tinubu on the sidelines of the G20 summit in New Delhi, India.
Biden praised Tinubu’s leadership as chair of the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) amid the political standoff in the Niger Republic.
The meeting was held weeks after the Nigerien military ousted President Mohamed Bazoum in a coup d’état on July 26.
The coup has been condemned by the international community, including the United States, with the Tinubu-led ECOWAS imposing economic sanctions on Niger in a bid to compel the junta to backtrack.
But the junta seems to have moved on by installing a new government composed of soldiers while vowing to retain power for the next three years.
Biden and Tinubu met on the development, according to a statement published on the White House official website.
Biden commended Tinubu’s leadership in Africa while reinforcing his country’s enduring commitment to the U.S.-Nigeria relationship and to the longstanding friendship between both nations.
“President Biden welcomed the Tinubu Administration’s steps to reform Nigeria’s economy and thanked President Tinubu for his strong leadership as the chair of the Economic Community of West African States to defend and preserve democracy and the rule of law in Niger and the broader region.
“Nigeria’s invitation to the G20 Summit is a recognition of Nigeria’s important global role as Africa’s largest democracy and economy,” the White House dated.
Tinubu will most likely meet with Biden again in the United States.
This follows an exclusive invitation from Biden to Tinubu to meet on the sidelines of the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session in September.
As disclosed by the United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, H.E. Mrs Molly Phee, when she visited Nigeria in August, the meeting will focus on investment opportunities and Tinubu’s leadership in the region.
“We know there is more we can do to incentivize large-scale American investment in Nigeria, and we are committed to working closely with you to achieve that as part of efforts to strengthen the Nigerian economy and the regional economy. We appreciate your willingness to create an enabling environment for that. President Joe Biden is asking to meet with you on the sidelines of UNGA, and you are the only African leader he has requested to meet with. It is a mark of his high regard for your leadership,” the U.S. Special Envoy said.
Agency Report
