President Bola Tinubu has met with Mr. Massad Boulos, a Senior Advisor on Africa under former U.S. President Donald Trump, to explore a potential economic and security partnership between Nigeria and the United States. The meeting took place in Paris, where President Tinubu is currently on a two weeks working visit.
According to a statement by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the talks focused on building a partnership based on mutual respect, regional stability and shared prosperity. Mr. Boulos conveyed Trump’s interest in deepening U.S. engagement with Nigeria, emphasizing plans to boost American investments in energy, infrastructure, trade and job creation across Nigeria and Africa.
The meeting comes shortly after the Trump team introduced a new wave of reciprocal tariffs affecting around 90 countries. Nigeria was among those hit with a 10% blanket tariff, though it was not targeted as harshly as China, which faced tariffs of up to 125%. Analysts say the new tariffs could affect Nigeria’s exports of agricultural products and petroleum derivatives.
The White House has said countries not retaliating with their own tariffs will maintain the 10% rate until July, after which new negotiations could adjust the terms.
President Tinubu used the meeting to express Nigeria’s commitment to a transparent and mutually beneficial relationship with the U.S., linking potential tariff relief to increased U.S. investment in Nigeria. They also discussed security concerns in the Sahel and eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, with Boulos acknowledging Nigeria’s leadership role in promoting regional peace and stability.