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U.S-Nigeria Relations: A 12mths Assessment
- By Williams Ekanem
- Published May 31st, 2011
- Washington File
- Unrated
United States –Nigeria relations has grown and indeed improved considerably between May 2010 when President Goodluck Jonathan assumed full responsibility and May 29, 2011 when he was inaugurated for a full four-year term.
This is compared to the rather frosty relations before then, when a catalogue of issues such as the Abdul Mutallab attempted bombing a United States airline. Every Nigerian frowned at the rather hasty classification of all Nigerians into the class of world notorious terrorist countries due to the action of a single misguided Nigerian just as the U.S.
The uncertainty and apprehension that characterized the health condition of late President Umaru Yar’ Adua was another source of friction because to the U.S, “in a modern democracy, senior cabinet members and legislative leaders have a right to know the health status of their president and so do Nigeria’s citizens.”
It however happened that when, through the Doctrine of Necessity, the Nigerian Senate empowered Goodluck Jonathan to assume the Presidency, some grey areas where gradually been straightened, more so as Ambassador Carson was the first foreign representative that met with Jonathan after been sworn in as the substantive Nigerian President.
Post Yar’Adua Era
Shortly after Jonathan took over full responsibilities as President of the federal Republic, officials from both countries discussed a range of nuclear safety, security, and nonproliferation issues and explored possible areas of cooperation during a May 25 meeting in New York City on the margins of the 2010 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference.
The meeting followed President Obama’s April 11, 2011 meeting with then-Acting Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, in which the two leaders agreed to continue to work together on matters of advancing global security, particularly nuclear security and international compliance to the NPT, and Under Secretary for Political Affairs William Burns’ April 24 visit to Nigeria.
The discussions marked another step in U.S.-Nigerian bilateral efforts to work more closely together on commonly held international security objectives.
Between May and September working groups of the U.S. Nigeria Bi-National commission took place. Precisely on September 13, the U.S.-Nigeria Binational Commission convened for its third full working group meeting in Washington, hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations. The two days of talks focused on the Niger Delta and Nigeria’s role in regional security. The U.S. delegation was led by Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Johnnie Carson, and the Nigerian delegation was led by Foreign Minister Henry Odein Ajumogobia.
It would be recalled that On April 6, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Nigerian Secretary to the Government of the Federation Yayale Ahmed inaugurated the U.S.-Nigeria Bi-national Commission, a strategic dialogue designed to expand mutual cooperation across a broad range of shared interests. The Commission is a collaborative forum to fortify partnerships between the United States and Nigeria. Four working groups have been formed: Good Governance, Transparency and Integrity; Energy and Investment; the Niger Delta and Regional Security Cooperation; and Food Security and Agriculture.
Financial Assistance
Monetarily, the United States in the last one year has advanced substantial amount of money to Nigeria in the last one year.
First is in the power sector where Nigeria signed an agreement with the United States to improve power generation through the use of renewable energy.
Under the agreement, the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) will provide 323,000 Dollars technical assistance to assist the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to develop a renewable energy framework for Independent Power Producers (IPPs).
Ms Leocadia Zak, the USTDA Director and the Head of NERC Strategy and Project Management Office, Mrs. Ifeyinwa Ikeonu, signed the agreement.
The agreement was the outcome of a two-day meeting of the Working Group on Energy and Investment of the US-Nigeria Bi-National Commission (BNC).
Zak said the agreement represents a mutual commitment by both countries to continue their cooperation to facilitate investment and improve the transparency, administration and performance of Nigeria’s power sector.
Besides grant for power supply, the U.S. also assisted the INEC with money for the April 2011 general elections.
BusinessWorld gathered that the U.S. also gave INEC $30 million as a grant to build up its technological infrastructure towards the 2011 general elections.
The United States also co-funded the 2010 Nigeria Education Data Survey and Digest of Education Statistics (NEDS) in Abuja.
United States new Ambassador to Nigeria, Terence P. McCulley who assumed duties in August 2010 coordinated the event. Conducted by Nigeria’s National Population Commission and the Federal Ministry of Education with support from USAID and the UK’s Department for International Development, the 2010 NEDS is a sample-based survey on educational and related household data from throughout Nigeria. The NEDS Survey provides verifiable, qualitative and quantitative data to help shape education strategies and inform decision-making.
April Elections
It is worthy of note to point out that within the period under review, besides Ambassador Carson, the next U.S. senior administration official that frequented Nigeria was Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs María Otero.
Otero arrived in Nigeria on February 28 to engage senior Nigerian officials, electoral observation organization representatives, and civil society groups on efforts to create an environment that will deliver a transparent and credible election in April.
She was earlier in Nigeria in August 2010 when she and her team followed up on preparations for the April 2011 elections in Nigeria.
In particular, she met with the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega and his staff to discuss ways for credible and undisputable elections.
Such deep interest in the general elections of Nigeria may spur the U.S. statement on April 6, 2011 after the postponement of the first election in the general elections due to late arrival of election materials, apparently confused on the state of affairs in Nigeria, Johnny Carson issued a statement that, “if Nigeria’s elections are not a significant improvement over 2007, and if the current elections do not meet the expectations of a majority of voters, the Nigerian people will lose confidence in their leaders, their democratic institutions, and the capacity of Nigeria to sustain a positive democratic trajectory.”
Carson added that with the elections, the United States “believe Nigeria has an historic opportunity to allow the Nigerian people the opportunity to elect their local, state and national representatives in a climate free of violence and intimidation. We hope that opportunity will not be lost.”
Eventually the outcome of the elections was such that the U.S. commended. President Barack Obama commended the people of Nigeria for their resolve and patience during last the historic presidential, legislative and gubernatorial elections.
According to Obama, “the success of the elections was a testament to Nigerian voters who waited in long lines, stayed to watch their votes counted and were determined that these elections mark a new chapter in Nigerian history. Credit also belongs to the Independent National Electoral Commission, the National Youth Service Corps, and Nigeria’s vibrant civil society, all of which must play a role in ensuring that the final results reflect the will of the Nigerian people and that Nigerian authorities investigate and address any allegations of fraud or irregularities.”
Moving Forward
Unconfirmed reports in Washington D.C. say President Jonathan is scheduled to be in the United States in early June for a meeting with President Obama among other activities in the United States.
When this happens, it will again be Jonathan’s first foreign trip after inauguration, an indication to buttress BusinessWorld story earlier in the year that the United States may be waiting for the outcome of the April elections to unfold other diplomatic
This is compared to the rather frosty relations before then, when a catalogue of issues such as the Abdul Mutallab attempted bombing a United States airline. Every Nigerian frowned at the rather hasty classification of all Nigerians into the class of world notorious terrorist countries due to the action of a single misguided Nigerian just as the U.S.
The uncertainty and apprehension that characterized the health condition of late President Umaru Yar’ Adua was another source of friction because to the U.S, “in a modern democracy, senior cabinet members and legislative leaders have a right to know the health status of their president and so do Nigeria’s citizens.”
It however happened that when, through the Doctrine of Necessity, the Nigerian Senate empowered Goodluck Jonathan to assume the Presidency, some grey areas where gradually been straightened, more so as Ambassador Carson was the first foreign representative that met with Jonathan after been sworn in as the substantive Nigerian President.
Post Yar’Adua Era
Shortly after Jonathan took over full responsibilities as President of the federal Republic, officials from both countries discussed a range of nuclear safety, security, and nonproliferation issues and explored possible areas of cooperation during a May 25 meeting in New York City on the margins of the 2010 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference.
The meeting followed President Obama’s April 11, 2011 meeting with then-Acting Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, in which the two leaders agreed to continue to work together on matters of advancing global security, particularly nuclear security and international compliance to the NPT, and Under Secretary for Political Affairs William Burns’ April 24 visit to Nigeria.
The discussions marked another step in U.S.-Nigerian bilateral efforts to work more closely together on commonly held international security objectives.
Between May and September working groups of the U.S. Nigeria Bi-National commission took place. Precisely on September 13, the U.S.-Nigeria Binational Commission convened for its third full working group meeting in Washington, hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations. The two days of talks focused on the Niger Delta and Nigeria’s role in regional security. The U.S. delegation was led by Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Johnnie Carson, and the Nigerian delegation was led by Foreign Minister Henry Odein Ajumogobia.
It would be recalled that On April 6, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Nigerian Secretary to the Government of the Federation Yayale Ahmed inaugurated the U.S.-Nigeria Bi-national Commission, a strategic dialogue designed to expand mutual cooperation across a broad range of shared interests. The Commission is a collaborative forum to fortify partnerships between the United States and Nigeria. Four working groups have been formed: Good Governance, Transparency and Integrity; Energy and Investment; the Niger Delta and Regional Security Cooperation; and Food Security and Agriculture.
Financial Assistance
Monetarily, the United States in the last one year has advanced substantial amount of money to Nigeria in the last one year.
First is in the power sector where Nigeria signed an agreement with the United States to improve power generation through the use of renewable energy.
Under the agreement, the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) will provide 323,000 Dollars technical assistance to assist the Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to develop a renewable energy framework for Independent Power Producers (IPPs).
Ms Leocadia Zak, the USTDA Director and the Head of NERC Strategy and Project Management Office, Mrs. Ifeyinwa Ikeonu, signed the agreement.
The agreement was the outcome of a two-day meeting of the Working Group on Energy and Investment of the US-Nigeria Bi-National Commission (BNC).
Zak said the agreement represents a mutual commitment by both countries to continue their cooperation to facilitate investment and improve the transparency, administration and performance of Nigeria’s power sector.
Besides grant for power supply, the U.S. also assisted the INEC with money for the April 2011 general elections.
BusinessWorld gathered that the U.S. also gave INEC $30 million as a grant to build up its technological infrastructure towards the 2011 general elections.
The United States also co-funded the 2010 Nigeria Education Data Survey and Digest of Education Statistics (NEDS) in Abuja.
United States new Ambassador to Nigeria, Terence P. McCulley who assumed duties in August 2010 coordinated the event. Conducted by Nigeria’s National Population Commission and the Federal Ministry of Education with support from USAID and the UK’s Department for International Development, the 2010 NEDS is a sample-based survey on educational and related household data from throughout Nigeria. The NEDS Survey provides verifiable, qualitative and quantitative data to help shape education strategies and inform decision-making.
April Elections
It is worthy of note to point out that within the period under review, besides Ambassador Carson, the next U.S. senior administration official that frequented Nigeria was Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs María Otero.
Otero arrived in Nigeria on February 28 to engage senior Nigerian officials, electoral observation organization representatives, and civil society groups on efforts to create an environment that will deliver a transparent and credible election in April.
She was earlier in Nigeria in August 2010 when she and her team followed up on preparations for the April 2011 elections in Nigeria.
In particular, she met with the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega and his staff to discuss ways for credible and undisputable elections.
Such deep interest in the general elections of Nigeria may spur the U.S. statement on April 6, 2011 after the postponement of the first election in the general elections due to late arrival of election materials, apparently confused on the state of affairs in Nigeria, Johnny Carson issued a statement that, “if Nigeria’s elections are not a significant improvement over 2007, and if the current elections do not meet the expectations of a majority of voters, the Nigerian people will lose confidence in their leaders, their democratic institutions, and the capacity of Nigeria to sustain a positive democratic trajectory.”
Carson added that with the elections, the United States “believe Nigeria has an historic opportunity to allow the Nigerian people the opportunity to elect their local, state and national representatives in a climate free of violence and intimidation. We hope that opportunity will not be lost.”
Eventually the outcome of the elections was such that the U.S. commended. President Barack Obama commended the people of Nigeria for their resolve and patience during last the historic presidential, legislative and gubernatorial elections.
According to Obama, “the success of the elections was a testament to Nigerian voters who waited in long lines, stayed to watch their votes counted and were determined that these elections mark a new chapter in Nigerian history. Credit also belongs to the Independent National Electoral Commission, the National Youth Service Corps, and Nigeria’s vibrant civil society, all of which must play a role in ensuring that the final results reflect the will of the Nigerian people and that Nigerian authorities investigate and address any allegations of fraud or irregularities.”
Moving Forward
Unconfirmed reports in Washington D.C. say President Jonathan is scheduled to be in the United States in early June for a meeting with President Obama among other activities in the United States.
When this happens, it will again be Jonathan’s first foreign trip after inauguration, an indication to buttress BusinessWorld story earlier in the year that the United States may be waiting for the outcome of the April elections to unfold other diplomatic
