Antony Blinken Arrives in Nigeria As He Continues His Africa Tour

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has continued his tour of Africa, visiting Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Angola, and Nigeria.

Today, January 24, 2024, Blinken met Nigerian President Bola Tinubu in Abuja.

The tour, which comes amid deadly crises and coups, focuses on trade, security, and democracy promotion.

Analysts argue that Africa has been pushed to the back burner under President Joe Biden due to other international issues such as the Ukraine war, the Israel-Hamas war, and China’s rivalry.

Biden failed to visit Africa last year, as promised.

Blinken committed to providing an extra $45 million in funding to aid in the conflict resolution and stabilisation of coastal West Africa, where Islamist insurgency-related insecurity has been on the rise.