By Gideon Ayeni
The much-publicised face-to-face meeting between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and US President Donald Trump will not go ahead in Washington as earlier suggested, according to Sahara Reporters.
While talks between Nigerian and US officials are ongoing, the source said a physical meeting in the United States is “not yet on the cards.” Instead, officials are considering the forthcoming G-20 Summit in Durban, South Africa scheduled for November 20 as a more likely venue for any direct talks between the two leaders.
“The meeting between President Bola Tinubu and Donald Trump is not going as reported. No plans are in place to go to Washington DC; conversations between the US and Nigeria are ongoing but a face-to-face meeting is not yet on the cards,” the source said. “There is an invitation for Tinubu to attend the G-20 summit where a likely meeting between Tinubu and Trump is a possibility.”
The clarification comes after Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser on Policy Communication to the President, earlier said Tinubu and Trump would meet “in the coming days” to address shared concerns over terrorism and security. Bwala had praised past US arms sales to Nigeria and said the two leaders would discuss differences over whether attacks in Nigeria target only Christians or affect all faiths.
The presidency’s update follows a string of inflammatory comments from Mr Trump in which he warned that the United States could halt aid to Nigeria and even take military action if killings of Christians in the country continue. In a recent post, Trump said the US might enter Nigeria “guns-a-blazing” to “wipe out the Islamic terrorists” responsible for attacks. A remark that prompted strong reactions both at home and abroad.
Nigerian officials have since engaged US counterparts to manage the diplomatic fallout and to find a forum for high-level discussions. With the G-20 summit drawing global leaders to Durban, the presidency considers it a practical opportunity for such engagement rather than an immediate trip to Washington.
