Last updated on August 14th, 2022 at 09:29 am
Simon Ateba is Chief White House Correspondent for Today News Africa covering President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, U.S. government, UN, IMF, World Bank and other financial and international institutions in Washington and New York.
The Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Samantha Power on Thursday met with Chief of Staff to the President of Nigeria Ibrahim Gambari and Nigeria’s National Security Advisor Babagana Monguno, and they discussed “the importance of the U.S.-Nigeria partnership on a range of issues including private sector investment, justice sector and police reform, and ensuring free and fair elections.”
“Administrator Power and Chief of Staff Gambari discussed the importance of the safe and voluntary return and resettlement of displaced persons in the Northeast, as well as the need to mobilize social and economic support for those attempting to rebuild their lives,” USAID spokesperson Rebecca Chalif said.
Chalif added that “Chief of Staff Gambari and National Security Advisor Monguno provided their perspective on Nigeria’s COVID-19 vaccination progress and Administrator Power shared USAID’s ongoing efforts to work with partners to accelerate vaccine delivery and uptake across sub-Saharan Africa.”
She said Administrator Power also discussed “the U.S. government’s initiative for Global Vaccine Access (Global VAX), a whole-of-government effort to translate vaccines in vials into vaccinations in arms around the world.”
United States National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Tuesday had also met with Gambari and Monguno at the White House.
“Mr. Sullivan affirmed the Administration’s commitment to collaborate with Nigeria to tackle shared global challenges, including ending the COVID-19 pandemic, building a more inclusive global economy, and combatting the climate crisis,” National Security Council spokesperson Emily Horne said in a statement.
Horne said the leaders also discussed shared concerns about democratic backsliding and political instability in West Africa and the importance of ongoing efforts by the Economic Community of West African States to reverse military seizures of power and restore constitutional order in Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Mali.
“Mr. Sullivan conveyed U.S. support for Nigeria’s important preparations to hold free and fair elections in 2023 and counter violent extremists and terrorist groups,” Horne said.
