The United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Frank Garcia, has concluded his official visit to Nigeria after holding high-level meetings aimed at strengthening the strategic partnership between both countries.
According to Channels Television, Garcia met with senior Nigerian government officials to advance cooperation on security, justice sector reform, digital transformation, commercial diplomacy and regional stability.
His engagements included meetings with the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sola Enikanolaiye; Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede; Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN); Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani; and National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
During discussions on defence and security, Garcia welcomed Nigeria’s increased efforts under the US-Nigeria Joint Working Group (JWG) in addressing concerns linked to Nigeria’s Country of Particular Concern designation.
The US official also urged Nigerian authorities to strengthen measures to protect Christian communities from attacks and allocate greater resources towards the safe return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their communities.
According to a statement released on Thursday, Garcia expressed anticipation for the next meeting of the Joint Working Group scheduled for August in Washington, DC, where progress on these issues will be reviewed. Discussions with the Attorney General also covered Islamic terrorism prosecutions, criminal accountability and religious freedom.
Garcia’s meeting with Communications Minister Bosun Tijani focused on expanding opportunities for US investment and increasing private sector participation in Nigeria’s growing digital economy. He also held talks with senior executives from leading American energy and technology firms on Nigeria’s business environment and investment prospects.
Earlier in the week, Ribadu disclosed that his discussions with Garcia centred on strengthening the long-standing Nigeria-US partnership, particularly in security cooperation. He said both sides reviewed ongoing engagements under the Nigeria-US Joint Working Group and reaffirmed their commitment to closer collaboration on shared security priorities.
Garcia’s visit marked his first official trip to Nigeria since assuming office as US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs.
