The Nigerian government on Tuesday received the new US Africa envoy, Frank Garcia, on his first official trip to the country.
Mr Gracias is the newly confirmed US Department of State’s Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs. The trip is his first official trip to West Africa, with Nigeria as his first stop.
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The top diplomat is expected to visit Côte d’Ivoire and Mali over the next few days.
The US Embassy in Nigeria disclosed in a post on X that Mr Gracias met with the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, to review progress under the US-Nigeria Joint Working Group launched earlier in the year.
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The Donald Trump administration, according to the embassy, is willing to use every tool “available to hold ISIS and perpetrators of violence against Christians accountable.”
Mr Gracia also met with the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sola Enikanolaiye, to discuss relations between the two countries. He also met with the Minister of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani.
The US mission described the meetings as “productive” and proof of US commitment to deepening bilateral relations with Nigeria.
“Nigeria is a strategic partner across numerous sectors, and the United States is committed to deepening our bilateral relationship – expanding trade, strengthening security, and building shared prosperity,” it said.
Mr Gracias’s trip is the latest in a series of trips made by American officials to Nigeria over the past 10 months.
PREMIUM TIMES previously reported a US delegation’s visit to the country to discuss the protection of Christian communities and the strengthening of counterterrorism efforts.
The delegation was led by the Under Secretary of State, Allison Hooker, who is also the head of the US-Nigeria joint working group.
A month after the delegation’s visit, US Department of the Treasury’s Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing, Jonathan Burke, visited the country. This trip, according to the US government, was a part of the “Trump administration’s efforts to reduce violence against Christians and other vulnerable groups.”
Last year, a Congressional delegation visited Abuja and met with Nigeria’s National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu.
PREMIUM TIMES also reported the visit of a Nigerian delegation, led by Mr Ribadu, to the US. The delegation met with top US officials, including Secretary of War Peter Hegseth.
This series of visits by top officials between Nigeria and the US began following Mr Trump’s verbal antagonism toward Nigeria.
It followed Nigeria’s designation as a Country of Particular Concern. Nigeria’s relations with the US have improved since the CPC designation, with joint military operations recording some successes, notably the elimination of Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, also known as Abubakar Mainok, a top commander of Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in May.
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