United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has expressed his home country’s commitment to helping Nigeria overcome its many challenges, which he said are “extraordinary.”
While fielding questions from journalists on Tuesday April 27, 2021 after his virtual meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari and other senior officials of the administration, Blinken said the US is committed to supporting Nigeria through capacity building, training, provision of resources, and through information sharing.
Particularly in respect to insecurity, the Secretary of State said it is important to address some of the drivers or facilitators of violence and instability which those engaged in the criminal activities can feed on.
Blinken said: “The security piece is vitally important, but it’s insufficient. Economic development, progress, opportunity is hugely important – so too are dealing with some of the other drivers that sometimes produce conflict, violence, and extremism.
“And one of the things that’s striking, of course, is the Lake Chad basin. There we’ve seen, over time, the erosion of the basin, because of climate change. That, in turn, can produce conflict over resources; new migratory patterns that put people in conflict; food insecurity, the more easy spread of disease – all of which can produce an environment in which terrorism, criminality and other forms of violence are more likely.”
In the area of public health, Blinken said his country would continue to be a partner to African countries, especially Nigeria, in strengthening public health.
Already, he said the U.S.-Nigeria cooperation has reached more than 60 million Nigerians through training programmes for public health workers, investment in medical facilities, as well as improvement in access to medicines, vaccines, and reproductive health care.
He also pledged support to Nigeria in the area of youth development.
“We’ll also continue to invest in rising leaders through programs like the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), knowing that for a continent of 1.3 billion people with a median age of 19, the best way to expand opportunity, to grow economies, and promote human rights is to invest in youths,” he said.
In terms of assistance that the US can and would render towards Nigeria’s economic recovery post-COVID, Blinken spoke of the US readiness to support facilities to restructure debts, and in the promotion of trade and investment.
“It’s incredibly more challenging if you’re in the midst of or emerging from the economic downturn that was the result of COVID. So, we’re very strongly supportive of flexibility there, restructuring there.
“We’re looking at a variety of other support programmes. And as well, I think being able to move forward with trade, with investment, with partnerships, that too is going to make a difference,” he noted.
He also spoke of the possibility of promoting green technology, which he said has the capacity to create and sustain employment.
“All of these things are on the agenda, and we’re looking at them together very creatively, both in our bilateral relationships and also multilaterally, including through the international financial institutions,” he said.