Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, received the US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, today in Abuja, Nigeria. Blinken arrived in the Nigerian capital on Tuesday afternoon and was met by Tuggar at the Presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport. The brief airport reception and exchange of pleasantries were led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen George Akume.
Deepening Democracy, Trade, and Security Cooperation
During Blinken’s visit, Tuggar is expected to hold bilateral talks with a focus on deepening democracy in the West African subregion, strengthening trade relations, and enhancing security cooperation. Nigeria and the United States have a long history of cooperation on a range of issues, and Blinken’s visit is seen as an opportunity to further strengthen ties between the two countries.
Multilateral Reform
Tuggar is also expected to use the opportunity to urge the US and the wider international community to give serious consideration to multilateral reforms, particularly that of democratizing the United Nations Security Council. Nigeria has long advocated for reforms to the Security Council, arguing that it should be more representative of the global community.
Blinken’s visit to Nigeria is part of a three-nation tour of Africa that also includes Senegal and Kenya. The visit underscores the Biden administration’s commitment to strengthening ties with African countries