Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari departs Abuja today for Washington DC ahead of an official visit to the United States of America.
He is scheduled to meet his host, President Donald Trump, for bilateral talks and lunch on Monday.
“The meeting is to discuss ways to enhance the strategic partnership between the two countries and to advance shared priorities, such as: promoting economic growth, fighting terrorism and other threats to peace and security,” Buhari’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said yesterday.
He said the meeting is also expected to “deepen the US-Nigeria relationship as the United States considers Nigeria’s economic growth, security and leadership in Africa to be critical aspects of their strategic partnership.”
Buhari is also scheduled to interact with a group of business persons in agriculture and agro-processing, dairy and animal husbandry while in the USA.
Senior Nigerian Government officials and executives of major US companies are already meeting in the areas of agriculture, aviation and transportation.
He added: “On agriculture, they will meet with large equipment manufacturers with focus on harvesting and post harvesting equipment.
“In the area of transportation, the officials will meet with the GE-led consortium for the implementation of the interim phase of the narrow gauge rail concession.
“In the interim phase, a substantive concession agreement will be negotiated and finalized to provide the consortium the opportunity to invest an estimated $2bn to modernize the rail line from Lagos to Kano and from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri. (The Nation)