President Bola Tinubu has held high-level talks with Mr. Massad Boulos, Senior Advisor for Africa in U.S. President Donald Trump’s State Department team, to lay the groundwork for what both sides are calling a “strategic economic and security partnership” between Nigeria and the United States.
According to a statement released Sunday by Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the meeting—which took place in Paris during President Tinubu’s two-week working visit—focused on deepening cooperation on trade, investment, and regional security, particularly across Africa’s most volatile zones.
“President Tinubu reiterated Nigeria’s readiness to build productive alliances with the United States, centred on transparency, opportunity, mutual respect, and outcomes that strengthen Africa’s place in the global economy,” the statement said.
Boulos, conveying a message on behalf of the Trump administration, expressed Washington’s “strong interest in deepening direct engagement with Nigeria as a cornerstone of U.S. relations with Africa.” He said the U.S. is keen to expand investment in Nigeria and across the continent, particularly in energy, infrastructure, and trade-led job creation.
Tariff Talks Amid Trump’s “Liberation Day” Reforms
The meeting comes in the wake of President Trump’s sweeping new tariff regime, dubbed “Liberation Day” reforms, which imposes a baseline 10 percent reciprocal tariff on imports from nearly 90 countries, including Nigeria. While China was hit with punitive duties rising as high as 125 percent, Nigeria was among the nations granted a 90-day reprieve to negotiate terms before a potential escalation.
Though Nigeria avoided the harshest penalties, analysts warn that the blanket 10 percent tariff could impact key Nigerian exports such as agricultural commodities and petroleum derivatives.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified that countries not engaging in retaliatory tariffs would remain under the baseline rate during the 90-day window ending in July, pending bilateral negotiations. Nigeria is expected to use this period to push for tariff relief in exchange for U.S. investment commitments.
The Nigerian government, according to Onanuga, hopes to link tariff relief to new trade and infrastructure initiatives, positioning the country as a gateway to wider U.S.-Africa economic engagement.
Focus on Regional Stability
Beyond economics, the leaders also discussed regional security, with particular attention to the Sahel and eastern Democratic Republic of Congo—regions plagued by conflict, coups, and jihadist insurgencies.
“Boulos recognised Nigeria’s regional and continental leadership and supported President Tinubu’s interventions to stabilise key African regions,” the statement noted.
Tinubu emphasized Nigeria’s commitment to playing a leading role in peacekeeping and conflict resolution efforts across the continent. Both parties reportedly agreed to explore actionable support mechanisms for counterterrorism cooperation and peace enforcement missions in West and Central Africa.
The Paris meeting marks a significant step in re-engaging U.S.-Africa relations under President Trump’s second-term foreign policy agenda, with Nigeria emerging as a pivotal partner.