The United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Frank Garcia, has concluded a visit to Abuja during which he pressed senior Nigerian government officials to increase efforts to protect Christian communities from attacks and accelerate the return of internally displaced persons to their homes.
Garcia met with Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, Chief of Defence Staff General Olufemi Oluyede, Minister of Justice and Attorney-General Chief Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy Bosun Tijani, and National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.
In meetings focused on defence and security, Garcia welcomed Nigeria’s increased efforts under the United States-Nigeria Joint Working Group to address Nigeria’s Country of Particular Concern designation, a classification applied to countries where the United States government has identified severe violations of religious freedom.
He pressed Nigerian officials to allocate greater resources to the protection of Christian communities and to the safe return of internally displaced persons.
Garcia said he looked forward to the next meeting of the Joint Working Group in Washington in August to assess progress.
Discussions with Attorney-General Fagbemi addressed Islamic terrorism prosecutions, criminal accountability, and religious freedom.
Talks with Minister Tijani centred on opportunities for United States investment and expanded private sector engagement in Nigeria’s growing digital economy.
Garcia also held separate meetings with senior executives from leading United States energy and technology companies to discuss the investment climate and business opportunities in Nigeria.
The visit was part of broader United States engagement with Nigeria across security cooperation, justice sector reform, digital transformation, commercial diplomacy, and regional stability, according to a statement issued by the United States Department of State on Tuesday.
(The Whistler)
