During a meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken assured Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu of Washington’s unwavering commitment to being a strong security partner for Nigeria.
The discussions primarily focused on West African security concerns, particularly the joint efforts to combat militants in the region.
Nigeria has grappled with escalating violence, notably in the northern regions and the capital, Abuja, where armed groups have targeted communities and carried out kidnappings for ransom. The Sahel region, encompassing several West African countries, has witnessed heightened instability, fueled in part by military coups in some member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
While avoiding countries recently affected by coups, Secretary Blinken’s four-country African tour aims to address security challenges and promote democracy in the region. During his visit to Abidjan, he commended Ivory Coast’s President Alassane Ouattara for initiatives aimed at countering extremism in northern areas bordering the Sahel.
The US has expressed a strategic interest in sustaining its influence in Africa amidst increasing competition from global powers like Russia and China.