The United States has acknowledged
Nigeria’s challenges and told President Muhammadu Buhari administration
that building Nigeria would not be “an overnight operation.” and wont be easy at all.
The US Secretary of State, Mr. John
Kerry, who stated this on Wednesday at the US-Nigeria Binational
Commission’s meeting in Washington, said America wanted Nigeria to
succeed.
He stated,
“You know there are challenges. That’s what your election was about. And so we are all aware that the world right now is facing many different challenges in terms of governance in various parts of the world and for various reasons: absence of capital, absence of structure, having to build capacity.
“These things take time. Nobody is pretending that it’s an overnight operation. It wasn’t for us. And some people sometimes are very revisionist in America about our own history, but we’ve gone through some very difficult periods and very difficult issues.”
Kerry recalled that America took slavery out of its constitution after it had been written in, adding that it was no small task.
He stated,
“We’ve been through a history. And what we’re trying to do is, really, share with people the shortcut, if you will – how you can manage to avoid some of the mistakes that we’ve made in the course of our own development in ways that can embrace the hopes and the aspirations of millions upon millions of people. That’s what this is about.”
He added that Nigeria was finding very vibrant expression in every branch of the arts. He said that like the United States, Nigeria “is a diverse country with a very large and assertive civil society.”
Kerry said, “The United States, let me be clear, is very encouraged by President Buhari’s commitment to an economy that is more diversified, less dependent on a single commodity for export earnings, and that means we need to develop sustainability.
“Sustainable growth depends on a climate that is welcoming to investment and respectful of the environment and of workers’ rights. And we have learned in these last 25, 30 years that it is never a competition between the environment and development. “That is a false choice – completely false, and particularly in the context of today’s challenge of climate change. You can develop in ways that protect the environment and also are competitive and provide jobs for people.”
According to him, Nigeria’s future is in Nigerians’ hands. He said the United States would help Nigeria.
“Our development assistance this year
will top $600m, and we are working closely with your leaders – the
leaders of your health ministry – to halt the misery that is spread by
HIV/AIDS, by malaria, and by TB,” he added.
He explained that the US Power Africa
Initiative was aimed at strengthening the energy sector where shortage
in electricity had frustrated the population and impeded growth.
He explained that America’s long-term
food security programme, Feed the Future, would help to create more
efficient agriculture and to raise rural incomes in doing that.
Kerry said that under Buhari’s
administration, Nigeria had been taking the fight to Boko Haram and had
reduced Boko Haram’s capacity to launch full-scale attacks.
He, however, stated that the group
remained a threat to the entire region, adding that the US and Nigerian
governments had been collaborating on new ways to institute security
measures.
“The threat that is posed by Boko Haram
is serious, but it must not – and I really believe this – it will not be
allowed to shape Nigeria’s future. Nigeria is a country with could
almost boundless capacity for economic growth,” he stated.
He also said no country could make progress with a culture of impunity.
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