US summons Malami, four other Nigerian ministers to Washington over worsening rights violation

The United States-Nigeria Bi-national Commission has summoned five ministers from Nigeria to discuss issues of trade, investment and particularly Nigeria’s worsening human rights record.

According to SaharaReporters, the meeting is set to take place from February 1 to 3, 2020 in Washington DC.

The online medium said it can confirm that two ministers have already left for the United States via the United Kingdom on Friday morning.

The ministers attending the meeting are Geoffrey Onyeama, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sadiya Umar Faruk, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.

Others are Abubakar Malami, Nigeria’s Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Maj. Gen. Bashir Magashi (retd), Minister of Defence, and National Security Adviser, Major General Babagana Monguno (rtd).

On April 6, 2010, the United States Secretary of State at the time, Hillary Clinton, and Secretary to the Government of the Federation of Nigeria at the time, Yayale Ahmed, inaugurated the U.S-Nigeria Binational Commission as a strategic dialogue designed to expand mutual cooperation across a broad range of shared interests.

The Commission is a collaborative forum to build partnerships for tangible and measurable progress on issues critical to both countries.

The United States establishes such commissions with valued and strategic partners.

Nigeria is Africa’s most populous nation, its largest contributor of peacekeepers, its largest producer of oil and a significant trading partner for the United States.

The BNC aims to promote good governance, transparency and integrity; energy and investment; food security and agriculture; and, Niger Delta and regional security cooperation.