The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, says Nigeria is ready for business deals with the United States, but travel restrictions remain challenging.
Tuggar stated this during the 54th ordinary session of the mediation and security council at the ministerial level in Abuja on Wednesday, June 18.
The minister said, “Sustained prosperity is achieved through trade and investment, devoid of barriers. It would therefore be remiss of me if I did not mention the apparent recent decision by the Government of the United States to include all ECOWAS countries in its visa restrictions (Togo was on an earlier list).
“This would be most unfortunate if it comes to pass, because we are a region of opportunities ready to do deals. We possess critical minerals and even rare earths such as Samarium from the Monazite found in my home State of Bauchi.
“We would like to do deals with the US, but visa restrictions are non-tariff barriers to deals. We in this part of the world are students of the Art of the Deal and have been part of the international trading system even before the modern state system.
“ECOWAS countries and the US have a rare opportunity to create a partnership based on principles of need. We are also a strategic alternative to more distant and politically divergent energy producers.
“So, we will do deals for our prosperity; the only question is with whom? Who takes up the opportunities in our region by allowing government officials and technocrats, business executives and entrepreneurs to travel freely back and forth to close the deals?”
The Donald Trump administration said it was considering expanding its new travel ban to as many as 36 additional countries, most of which are in Africa.
The Trump presidency recently imposed a travel ban on 12 countries: Somalia, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Libya, Sudan, Yemen, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Haiti and Iran.
He also imposed a partial ban on travellers from seven other countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. Some temporary work visas from those countries will be allowed.
