S President Barack Obama will welcome his
Nigerian counterpart to Washington next month,
the White House announced Thursday, a symbolic
show of solidarity after the country’s first ever
democratic transition.
“President Obama will host Nigerian President
Muhammadu Buhari at the White House,” on July
20, the White House said.
The visit will mark “our support for the Nigerian
people following their historic democratic
elections and peaceful transfer of power,” a
statement added.
Obama’s administration had faced criticism for not
planning to visit Nigeria during a two nation Africa
tour, also slated for July.
That trip will take in Kenya and Ethiopia, countries
which have held highly questioned elections in
recent memory.
May elections in Ethiopia resulted in the ruling
party gaining all 546 parliamentary seats.
A presidential visit to Kenya had been put on ice
while President Uhuru Kenyatta faced charges –
now suspended – of crimes against humanity for
his role in 2007-2008 post-election violence.
Obama and Buhari themselves will have a packed
agenda.
The White House said they would discuss
combating Boko Haram militants.
The armies of Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon
have been fighting a joint campaign against Boko
Haram for several months, pushing militants out
of captured towns and villages.
But village raids continue apace, often resulting in
the deaths of dozens of women and children.
Boko Haram has been fighting to establish a
hardline Islamic state in northeast Nigeria since
2009.
Obama and Buhari will also discuss Nigeria’s
economic and political reforms to “unlock its full
potential as a regional and global leader.”

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Naso dem talk sey john kerry n mrs Obama dey dey come for our president swearing in but we no see any1 one of dem ooooooo