The United States and Nigeria have strengthened collaboration to fight terrorism in the West Africa country and in neighbouring countries troubled by the scourge
This was one of the major discussions taken at the just concluded two-day 6th edition of the US- Nigeria Binational Commission (BNC) in Abuja on Tuesday, 30 April, 2024, where both countries also made commitments to increase bilateral trade, invest in energy, agriculture and technology including Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, told a news conference during the closing ceremony that the country has made significant progress in degrading the Boko Haram terrorists in the northern part of Nigeria.
Tuggar said: “You are all aware of the progress that we have made in north eastern Nigeria in degrading Boko Haram to the point that now one of our major challenges is sorting out who is a combatant and who is not”.
While admitting that there is still the challenge of banditry, which is a fall out of the Boko Haram terrorist activities, Tuggar noted that the Nigerian government is containing this challenge and that with the US support, the matter will be brought to an end.
The Minister stressed the need for economic development, adding that the government of President Bola Tinubu is focused on offering employment to the people of Nigeria. He said “we are focusing on the use of technology to create jobs and to educate the youth”.
The U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, Kurt Campbell, told the conference that the BNC was fruitful. He said “Energy is a huge part of our relationship, agriculture has enormous potential. We will work much more closely on technology and expand the volume of trade and build people – to-people commercial and technological links between our two countries.
“We will step up our efforts in security because the security challenges do not reside in Nigeria, they are regional and global and we are containing them as well. Nigeria is a natural partner and indeed we have ambition to step up our engagement in this arena not just with respect to local areas but the regional ones as well.”
He further said that the US has partnered with Nigeria and other countries on the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) programme, which is a model on how the US can partner with key countries not just in Africa but across the world in dealing with key challenges of health.
