₦airaland Forum

With an economy worth over $2trillion in Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) terms, huge oil and gas reserves, strategic location and Africa’s most populous nation of more than 200 million people, Nigeria should be the continent’s most important American ally.

Instead, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has had to watch from the sidelines as Kenyan President William Ruto literally eat his dinner as he is hosted to a lavish and glitzy state visit by President Joe Biden in an effort to strengthen US economic ties with Africa and counter Chinese and Russian influence across the continent.

Attendees at the dinner were treated to a three-course meal that included chilled heirloom tomato soup, beef short rib and butter-poached lobster, and a white chocolate basket for dessert. The courses were paired with wines from California and Oregon.

Ruto’s state dinner is the first for an African leader in 16 years and attracted prominent tech industry leaders attending including Brad Smith, the president of Microsoft Corp.; Ruth Porat, president and chief financial officer of Alphabet Inc; former Meta Platforms Inc. Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg and Ursula Burns of Teneo.

Microsoft also said this week it plans to build a $1 billion geothermal-powered data center in Kenya, part of a multi-year plan to dramatically increase cloud-computing capacity in East Africa.

The American tech giant meanwhile this month laid off its entire engineering team at its African Development Center (ADC) in Lagos, Nigeria, despite operating for five years, employing at least 120 engineers and more than 200 total staff members.

Microsoft set up its African Development Center in Lagos, Nigeria, and Nairobi, Kenya, in 2019 to expand its engineering talent pool, focus on student and community engagements, and invest in Microsoft programmes.

As Microsoft lays off the engineering team, the future of its African Development Center in Lagos hangs in the balance. With the core team gone, questions arise about the facility’s continuation.

NATO & CHIPs

President Biden designated the East African country as America’s first “major non-Nato ally” in sub-Saharan Africa, an acknowledgment of the growing security partnership between the countries.

The designation, while largely symbolic, reflects how Kenya has grown from a regional partner that has long cooperated with U.S. counterterrorism operations on the continent to a major global influence — even extending its reach into the Western Hemisphere.

Kenya will be the first sub-Saharan African country to receive the status.

The US also announced it’s proposing to make Kenya the first country in Africa to benefit from funding in the Chips and Science Act, according to White House officials. The administration intends to work with Congress to commit $1 million in assistance for Kenya to support assembly, testing and packaging in the semiconductor sector.

Questions around Tinubu’s legitimacy

A 2023 Country Report on Human Rights Practices, Nigeria, by the U.S. Department of State has shed light on various irregularities and challenges faced during the country’s 2023 elections.

While acknowledging that the elections largely reflected the will of voters, the report highlighted issues that marred the electoral process.

According to the April 2024 report, “Many independent observers assessed the results of the presidential, legislative, and state-level elections during the year reflected the will of voters, despite reports of voter suppression and vote buying, campaigning at polling stations, lack of ballot secrecy, violence, and intimidation.”

Niger vs Haiti

Sources tell MoneyCentral that Tinubu is seen by the US to have dithered in Niger, while Ruto has been decisive on Haiti. Kenya plans to deploy 1,000 paramilitary officers to the Caribbean country as part of a U.N.-backed effort to curb gang violence and hunger.

After the army seized power in Niger last year, the president of Nigeria Tinubu was at the forefront of demands that the junta step down, even warning that the West African bloc could use military force to oust the generals, while imposing tough sanctions and closing the border.

However just eight months later, Bola Tinubu has lifted all those restrictions.

In many ways, it is a huge climbdown for the regional bloc, Ecowas, but it is also personally embarrassing for Tinubu, analysts say, with former President Olusegun Obasanjo criticising Nigeria’s approach to the coup in the Republic of Niger.

The Biden administration has praised Kenya for stepping up in Haiti when so few other countries have agreed to do so.

“Kenya believes that the responsibility of peace and security anywhere in the world, including in Haiti, is the collective responsibility of all nations and all people who believe in freedom, self-determination, democracy and justice,” Ruto said. “And it is the reason why Kenya took up this responsibility.”

A difficult assignment is ahead for the Kenyan officers.

Haiti has endured poverty, political instability and natural disasters for decades. International intervention in Haiti has a complicated history. A U.N.-approved stabilization mission to Haiti that started in June 2004 was marred by a sexual abuse scandal and the introduction of cholera, which killed nearly 10,000 people. The mission ended in October 2017.

The United States has agreed to contribute $300 million to the multinational force.

Deals

The U.S. is expected to announce $250 million in new investments in Kenya through the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, including $180 million for a major affordable housing project, a U.S. government official said. That will bring the U.S. financing institution’s portfolio in Kenya to nearly $1.1 billion. The corporation will also open an office in Kenya.

https://moneycentral.com.ng/exclusive/article/ruto-eats-tinubus-dinner-as-biden-makes-kenya-major-ally/


https://i0.wp.com/moneycentral.com.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Biden-Ruto.png?w=413&ssl=1

If Tinubu was there instead of Ruto, you all will come back to say he's selling the country to the West and he must do what the West wants.
It is Ruto, Kenyans are complaining about this particular move by Ruto, but another social media expert who would have crîtîcizèd if it was Tinubu is critîcizing because it's not Tinubu.
If you want to criticize, let it have direction, stop going in opposite directions always.

When will you people drop this your slave mentality?

Is America the only country on Earth?

Why must the Nigerian president be close to America?

Stop reasoning like blasted slaves, man.

Do you see India and China caring if America likes them or not?

Even RWANDA tells them to go to hell and stop dictating to them.

Tiny Burkina Faso and Niger Republic drove out the French from their midst.

Yet buffoons like you are here shouting “Oh, America doesn’t like us o! What are we going to do o?”

Tufiakwa.

The zoo is gone

Biafrannuke:
The zoo is gone

Stop mistaking your cannibal household for Nigeria.

How many of your brethren have you eaten today?

This is just the beginning, one day they will be slapping this old drug addict at United Nations meetings.

Shaaaaaaaaaame

Kenyans are complaining that William Ruto is selling the country to the West

Quintopia:
When will you people drop this your slave mentality?

Is America the only country on Earth?

Why must the Nigerian president be close to America?

Stop reasoning like blasted slaves, man.

Do you see India and China caring if America likes them or not?

Even RWANDA tells them to go to hell and stop dictating to them.

Tiny Burkina Faso and Niger Republic drove out the French from their midst.

Yet buffoons like you are here shouting “Oh, America doesn’t like us o! What are we going to do o?”

Tufiakwa.

but you borrow away your future from the same IMF they control.

Quintopia:
Stop mistaking your cannibal household for Nigeria.

the only soon to be cannibal are your lots. Your zoo has reached a point where you'll start eating each other.

Biafrannuke:
but you borrow away your future from the same IMF they control.

EVERY COUNTRY ON EARTH BORROWS MONEY.

Borrowing money doesn’t mean you should be a slave, abi you no get brain?

OmotolaDeniro:
Kenyans are complaining that William Ruto is selling the country to the West

What and what did he sell? Can you compare your shittholle with Kenya?

Can you get a visa to Kenya?

vanbonattel:
What and what did he sell? Can you compare your shittholle with Kenya?

Can you get a visa to Kenya?

‘Emergency Nigerian’ IPOB terrorist outcast opinion is irrelevant here.

Get lost, you dirty parasite.

Unwanted guest.

You go fear headline.

Seems the editor don carry Meth to have this kind of headline.

Quintopia:
EVERY COUNTRY ON EARTH BORROWS MONEY.

Borrowing money doesn’t mean you should be a slave, abi you no get brain?

you borrow what you don't have. You borrow because you are helpless that is why you obey the terms of the lender, including ceding your sovereignty. Yes! that makes you a slave.

Quintopia:
‘Emergency Nigerian’ IPOB outcast opinion is irrelevant here.

Get lost, you parasite.

Unwanted guest.

You go cry taya

JagabanB:
If Tinubu was there instead of Ruto, you all will come back to say he's selling the country to the West and he must do what the West wants.
It is Ruto, Kenyans are complaining about this particular move by Ruto, but another social media expert who would have crîtîcizèd if it was Tinubu is critîcizing because it's not Tinubu.
If you want to criticize, let it have direction, stop going in opposite directions always.

who told you that? Have Tinubu not sold Nigeria to West even without being there?
Well, the USA will never accept an Islamist threatened country as a non_NATO ally anyway. They have many problems in their hands than to put themselves in Islamic problems.

Biafrannuke:
you borrow what you don't have. You borrow because you are helpless that is why you obey the terms of the lender, including ceding your sovereignty. Yes! that makes you a slave.

But the USA is the world’s biggest debtor, owing China and other countries trillions of dollars.

Does that make America China’s slave?

Air head school dropout.

vanbonattel:
You go cry taya

I didn’t cry. I just told you to get lost, because you are an unwanted dirty tramp who walked in and stank up the place with your IPOB outcast rottenness.

Quintopia:
But the USA is the world’s biggest debtor, owing China and other countries trillions of dollars.

Does that make America China’s slave?

Air head school dropout.

do you want to compare your zoo with US?

The USA wants to dominate the world. There are other countries who share that philosophy too. So they have always sidelined Nigeria, knowing our capacity and potential, not just in Africa but the world. It is not in their interest for us to be successful, regardless of what they tell you.

It's important to consider the potential impact of Biden inviting Tinubu to the White House. It could potentially have repercussions on Biden's election, as Trump could use it as a campaign issue against him.

Quintopia:
I didn’t cry. I just told you to get lost, because you are an unwanted dirty tramp who walked in and stank up the place with your IPOB outcast rottenness.

Your tears are so hot, pele

BondRiv:
The USA wants to dominate the world. There are other countries who share that philosophy too. So they have always sidelined Nigeria, knowing our capacity and potential, not just in Africa but the world. It is not in their interest for us to be successful, regardless of what they tell you.

Your capacity and potentials of your army always bombing your own citizens right in their homes

Pote gwo gwo

In exchange for military base in Kenya.

Do you want a military base in Nigeria?

Why are you people salivating over what Kenya people are rejecting?

The zoo is gone

EmeeNaka:
who told you that? Have Tinubu not sold Nigeria to West even without being there?
Well, the USA will never accept an Islamist threatened country as a non_NATO ally anyway. They have many problems in their hands than to put themselves in Islamic problems.

U are all loudmouthed like you are part and parcel of the US government, usual road side talk.
Tell us the price Tinubu sold Nigeria to the west.

EmeeNaka:
who told you that? Have Tinubu not sold Nigeria to West even without being there?
Well, the USA will never accept an Islamist threatened country as a non_NATO ally anyway. They have many problems in their hands than to put themselves in Islamic problems.

Always the jews of Nigeria purportedly complaining, why?

I love how Tinubu supporters are not taking any quarters from the IPOBic enemies of the state.

It is good to know ones enemies and always put them in their place.

The effects of allowing a disgusting drug lord to seize power in Nigeria will take a long time to wear off. Every international organization or company are running away from Nigeria as if the country has Ebola.

Even Lagos has started declining. Foreign investors are no longer interested in the city while local investors are also avoiding it now.

Tinubu is a curse on Nigeria and his supporters will someday have their due comeuppance.