US President Barack Obama Meets Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari Monday, July 20, 2015

 

President Barack Obama, right, meets with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, in the Oval Office of the White House, on Monday, July 20, 2015, in Washington. Buhari is seeking to shore up relations between the two countries and to request additional assistance in the fight against the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram

U.S. President Barack Obama on Monday offered strong support for Nigeria's new president, Muhammadu Buhari, saying he had a "clear agenda" for defeating the militant Islamist group Boko Haram and was working to root out corruption

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari's election was the first democratic power transition in decades, which Obama called "an affirmation to Nigeria's commitment to democracy," and the visit is meant to usher in a new chapter in relations between the two countries.

U.S. cooperation with Buhari's predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan, had virtually ground to a halt over issues including his refusal to investigate corruption and human rights abuses by the Nigerian military.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari's move on July 13 to fire military chiefs appointed by Jonathan clears the way for more military cooperation

Since Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari's election, USA has committed $5 million in new support for a multi-national task force set up to fight Boko Haram.

Note
Boko Haram has carried out multiple attacks in northern Nigeria, most notably the April 2014 kidnapping of 276 Nigerian school girls who are still missing