The US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, has assured that American companies are ready to partner with and invest in the Nigerian economy.
This was made known by Blinken, who is on an African tour, during his visit to President Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday, January 23, 2024, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
While briefing the press after he meets with President Tinubu at the State House Abuja, Blinken said,
Despite the promises investing in Nigeria holds, the US top 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.
He said,
He maintained that “tackling corruption and making it easier for companies to repatriate capital” is essential for Nigeria to attract foreign investments.
Blinken, who acknowledged that the impact of some of the reforms like petrol subsidy removal and floating of exchange rate by the Tinubu administration might be harsh on the people, said the US will continue to support Nigeria to cushion the effects.
Blinken is the highest-ranking US official from the current administration to visit Nigeria since the January 25, 2023 election that brought President Tinubu into office.
Apart from meeting with President Tinubu, Blinken is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with some key appointees in this government as well as meet with the business community in Lagos on Wednesday.
US Secretary of State’s week-long African tour includes stops in Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, and Angola, focusing on discussions related to regional security, conflict prevention, democracy promotion, and trade.
The visit aims to underscore the Biden administration’s commitment to partnership with Africa, addressing issues like climate, economic investment, and food and health.
