Our reporter/ The US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on Tuesday assured of his country’s companies’ readiness to partner with and invest in the Nigerian economy.
Blinken, who is on an African tour, made the remark in Abuja during his visit to President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa.
“American entrepreneurs and companies are ready to partner and invest in Nigeria, particularly in the tech sector,” he said while briefing the press after he met with Tinubu at the State House in Abuja
“We have tech giants that have teamed up with Nigerian partners to help meet President Bola Tinubu’s one million digital jobs initiative.”
“Our tech entrepreneurs are fostering Nigeria’s next start-ups and our venture capital companies are working to finance them,” Blinken added, saying American firms are also working to broaden internet access in the West African country.
“So, we want to work in partnership to drive Nigeria’s tech revolution,” he said
Despite the promises investing in Nigeria holds, the US diplomat is aware of the challenging business environment in the country.
Nigeria remains one of the lowest ranked on Transparency International’s widely watched corruption perceptions index. Tackling this and also creating a better business environment, Blinken believes, are key to unlocking the Nigerian economy.
The United States Secretary of State, earlier arrived at the Presidential Villa for an official visit to President Bola Tinubu.
On hand to receive him with President Tinubu were the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar; the Minister of Information, Mohammed Yusuf, and other top government officials.
Blinken is also scheduled to visit Lagos for bilateral talks.
Earlier, the spokesperson of the US Department of State, Matthew Miller, announced Blinken’s planned visit to Cabo Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria, and Angola from January 21 to 26.
Miller said the visit is aimed at highlighting the progression of the United States’ relationship with the continent after 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 visit is also expected to foster the U.S. partnership with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to address regional challenges and de-escalate tensions in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
During his visit to Ivory Coast, the football-loving, French-speaking top US diplomat watched a critical match Monday night in Abidjan between the hosts and Equatorial Guinea, joining Ivory Coast’s political top brass in a VIP box.
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