First takes on PMB’s visit to the USA

President Muhammadu Buhari returned to the country May 2 after a one-day state and three-day official visit to the United States of America. Mr President met with the leader of the free world, United States President Donald Trump. Both leaders held a press conference and issued statements on the interests of their countries as well as their expectations going forward.
We congratulate President Buhari and the Presidency for pulling out the feat of an international visit by our leader without a major faux pas or fallout with citizens at home and abroad. During previous visits outside our shores, President Buhari always found cause to demonise the country or insult the sensibilities of his citizens. Many people held their breath until the end of the official visit.
Buhari was the first leader from sub-Saharan Africa to visit Mr Trump in his White House residence since he assumed office in January 2017. The indications are that the visit went well in terms of the optics. The visit also featured diplomatic gains and losses by both sides.
What did the trip achieve in real terms?
For one, Nigeria got affirmation of US cooperation and collaboration on security issues. Security is the flagship of the Buhari administration, so it is just as well. President Trump confirmed the sales of Super Tucano helicopters to Nigeria, the first time in a long while, and assured of support with intelligence and men in the continued fight against terrorism. Buhari on his part reiterated the imperative of US support as security challenges continue to threaten the nation and colour the efforts of the government.
Agriculture featured on the trade deal. However, it would seem that all the gains went to the United States, pending further details. Mr Trump got his deal to sell agricultural produce to Nigeria. Initial reports indicate that Nigeria got nothing. This is despite President Buhari repeating the disputed claims by the Federal Government of giant strides in rice cultivation, allegedly leading to a 90% reduction in rice importation. From the thrashing of fanciful effects of this rice production on mills in Thailand by the Thai ambassador to denials of any improvement in production processes by 16 Northern groups, citizens now take claims on rice production with more than a pinch of salt.
Whatever the situation with rice, we wonder at the import of its inclusion in the talks. Nigeria is not likely today or tomorrow to need to sell rice to America. The USA produces more rice in quantity and brands than it needs. What was thus the need to speak of this matter at this rare opportunity? What happened to taking advantage to canvass US purchase of more Nigerian processed or manufactured products under the AGOA platform?
President Trump pushed for Nigeria to buy more US agricultural imports and got his wish. Trump is engaged in trade games with China and Nigeria as an additional market for their wheat, soybeans and other agricultural commodities is a definite win. It is not clear yet what agricultural commodities the Americans would be pushing to Nigeria with this new deal. It is noteworthy that America is home of the GMO lobby in agricultural production. They also produce outsize quantities of the various commodities in which they deal. What would happen to the Nigerian farmer and workers in the agriculture value chain? Can Nigeria get the American firms to consider local production first in addition to importation?
The US president underscored his overall victory over Nigeria during this exchange by pointedly declaring that America does not want anything to do with our principal export and mainstay, crude oil. As it were, Trump even hinged the promise of fresh US investments in our economy on Nigeria creating a levelplaying field through the removal of trade barriers and the principle of reciprocity for US aid to the tune of $1billion annually to Nigeria.
Then Mr Trump imperiously declared American dislike of the current narrative of security in the country as it concerns killing of Christians. He stated: “We have had a very serious problem with Christians who are being murdered, killed in Nigeria. We gonna be working on that problem, and working on that problem very,very hard, because we can’t allow that to happen”.
President Buhari played the diplomatic dove all the way. He passed off the opportunity to give an African response to Trump’s alleged shithole comment on African nations or the earlier one about Nigerian visitors to America never returning to their “huts” in the country. We agree it was probably not the platform for bric-a-brac.
President Buhari continued his narrative of Libyan-trained soldiers rather than herdsmen responsible for the murders. We will address this matter in more depth.
Overall, the scorecard for this visit does not look good for Nigeria. America got the upper hand. Nigeria secured confirmation of already existing agreements in security, loss of the American market for our oil and the further opening of Nigerian agriculture to foreign competition. Not worth celebrating.