Antony Blinken, the United States Secretary of State, has arrived at the Presidential Villa to pay an official visit to President Bola Tinubu.
The visit is part of his tour of the West African sub-region. Prior to his arrival in Nigeria, Blinken made stops in Cape Verde and Ivory Coast, and he is scheduled to depart for Angola from here.
President Tinubu, along with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, the Minister of Information, Mohammed Yusuf, and other high-ranking government officials, were present to welcome him.
After his meeting with the President, Blinken is set to travel to Lagos for discussions between the two countries.
The spokesperson of the US Department of State, Matthew Miller, previously announced Blinken’s upcoming visits to Cabo Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria, and Angola from January 21 to 26.
Miller stated that the purpose of this visit is to emphasize the development of the United States’ relationship with Africa following the US-Africa Leaders Summit in 2022.
“Throughout the trip, the secretary will highlight how the United States has accelerated the U.S.-Africa partnership since the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, including in areas such as climate, food, and health security,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
“He will also emphasize our future-focused economic partnership and how the United States is investing in infrastructure in Africa to boost two-way trade, create jobs at home and on the continent, and help Africa compete in the global marketplace.”
According to Miller, the purpose of the visit is to strengthen the partnership between the United States and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in order to tackle regional issues and reduce tensions in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
While in Ivory Coast, the US diplomat, who is a fan of football and speaks French, attended an important match between Ivory Coast and Equatorial Guinea on Monday night in Abidjan. He joined the country’s political leaders in a VIP box.
