• Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Security tops agenda as Buhari meets US Secretary of State

Security tops agenda as Buhari meets US Secretary of State

The worsening state security in Nigeria will top the agenda as President Muhammadu Buhari meets with Antony Blinken, US Secretary of State in Abuja, on Thursday.

The visit, which is the second in his three nations tour of African countries, will also focus on health security and expanding energy access in the country.

BusinessDay learnt that the meeting is expected to review US security plan support to Nigeria to tackle insurgency.

Read also: Women in the Business of Security

President Buhari had requested for the relocation of the African High Command from its base in Germany to Africa for a more effective operation, as African countries battle the growing influence of Islamic State of West Africa Province ISWAP insurgents, in the region.

In October, Nigeria received the 12 A-29 Super Tucano jets from the US, marking a turning point in the efforts to strengthen military operations against the Boko Haram insurgents who had been ravaging the North-Eastern part of the country.

Presidency sources said the meeting will review the US economic relations as well as efforts by the Nigerian government to tackle rising cases of insecurity.

Human Rights issues are also expected to receive the attention of the US government, following earlier concerns it expressed over the use of the Tucano jets.