The United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. James Entwistle, tells BAYO AKINLOYE that the US government is helping Nigeria to rescue the abducted Chibok schoolgirls and will not welcome into its country any Nigerian, particularly politicians who plan or promote violence ahead of and during the March 28 and April 11 elections
Your country has been forthright in its condemnation of Boko Haram and its terrorist activities in Nigeria and other countries. We’ve seen Washington’s willingness to provide training and intelligence support to hunt down the insurgents. But frequently, the US has said it is constrained by the alleged human rights violation history of Nigeria’s security operatives. Has the situation changed? Has it improved?
It is important to remember that Nigeria has the primary responsibility for the safety and security of its citizens. Addressing the threat of Boko Haram effectively is a daunting task. This is a group that has no regard for human life. It is a group that is willing to use children to conduct bombings and intentionally targets civilian spaces. It is a threat that is not confined by borders. Countering Boko Haram requires the full effort of Nigeria as well as cooperation with neighbouring states through a multinational regional task force to jointly confront Boko Haram. The US is committed to helping Nigeria develop a long-term, comprehensive approach to combating Boko Haram. By definition, such an approach must protect civilians, respect human rights, and address the underlying causes of conflict. We are sharing with the government of Nigeria practices and strategies that will bolster its future efforts to defeat this deadly movement.
Many people found it unbelievable, after 300 days that the more than 200 abducted Chibok schoolgirls are yet to be rescued. Is the US still interested in helping Nigeria find these children?
We remain committed to helping the government of Nigeria address the threat posed by the Boko Haram terrorist organisation. The US continues to support Nigerian efforts to bring about the safe recovery of the kidnapped schoolgirls and to advise the government of Nigeria on its response.
What current efforts, if any, is your country offering Nigeria in order to facilitate their rescue?
We are advising on issues of survivor support, criminal investigations, intelligence, and strategic communications.
Ahead of the rescheduled 2015 general elections, what assistance is the US offering Nigeria to ensure that it conducts credible, peaceful, free and fair polls?
It is of paramount importance for the Nigerian people that Nigeria’s 2015 elections be peaceful and credible. It is vital that the outcome reflect the will of the Nigerian people and reinforce citizens’ confidence in the legitimacy of their elected representatives. As Secretary John Kerry said during his visit to Lagos last month, violence should not be tolerated. Anyone who participates in violence—including by planning or ordering widespread or systematic violence against the civilian population based on political opinion—may be found ineligible for a US visa and would not be welcome in the United States. We look to all Nigerian politicians, candidates, traditional leaders, and notable citizens to speak out against the use of violence or heated political rhetoric and to publicly urge others to do the same. The US is continuing its partnerships with the Independent National Electoral Commission, security services, and Nigerian civil society organisations to facilitate peaceful, credible, free, and fair elections.
Not a few Nigerians have expressed misgivings about Washington’s commitment to their country’s development and democracy. How committed is the US government to ensuring that Nigeria’s democracy is not truncated ahead of the general elections?
The US Mission in Nigeria is deeply committed to helping ensure that the forthcoming elections now slated for March 28 and April 11 are free, fair, peaceful, and credible. This underlines why the US officials, including me, have been speaking out about the importance of non-violence, and we will continue to do so. We urge all parties and candidates to commit publicly not to condone, incite, or foment violence before, during, or after the elections.
What economic relationship exists between your country and Nigeria?
The United States and Nigeria enjoy a strong relationship, with long-standing ties on a wide range of issues. Nigeria is Africa’s most populous nation, Africa’s largest economy, and a significant trading partner for the US. The nation is also the largest destination in sub-Saharan Africa for US private investment—estimated at some $8 billion in 2012. Bilateral trade (between Nigeria and the United States) exceeded $9 billion in 2014. There is significant potential for greater two-way commerce in a wide range of industrial sectors. Last May, the US Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker led 20 American companies on an energy business development trade mission to Nigeria, which aimed to promote US exports and expand US commercial presence in Nigeria and the greater Africa region by helping American firms launch or increase their business in the energy sector. In 2010, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Nigerian Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Yayale Ahmed, inaugurated the US-Nigeria Bi-National Commission, a strategic dialogue designed to expand mutual cooperation across a broad range of shared interests.
You just mentioned the US-Nigeria Bi-National Commission. What exactly is the mandate of the BNC?
The commission is a collaborative forum to build partnerships for tangible and measurable progress on issues critical to the United States’ and Nigeria’s shared future. Our previous BNC forums have given us the opportunity to make important strides in many areas, including strengthening Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission, supporting the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to combat corruption, promoting trade and investment in Nigeria, and working on the issues of peace and stability in the Niger Delta and Northeast Nigeria.
Beyond the economic relationship enjoyed between the two countries, what role does the US play in the areas of development in Nigeria?
Building on our strong bilateral relationship with Nigeria, we continue to offer support for strengthening Nigeria’s democratic institutions and economic development, while also assisting Nigeria in the health sector. Since its inception in Nigeria in 2004, the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief has provided more than $3.4 billion to support the Nigeria HIV/AIDS response. The US has played a role in advancing Nigeria’s socio-economic development. Through the US Agency for International Development, we are investing $2.4 billion over a five-year period to help Nigerian leaders to create jobs, improve education, advance agriculture, and promote better healthcare. We are working closely with our Nigerian counterparts to expand access to electricity and increase electrical production so that more Nigerians get power. We are working with local government authorities to help more people get access to water. In the North-East, we are working with local partners to provide emergency assistance to internally displaced persons in both settlements and host communities.
How about in the area of education?
President Barack Obama created the Young Africa Leaders Initiative now known as the Mandela Washington Fellows Programme. YALI challenges and prepares the next generation of African leaders to improve their readiness to take charge in both the public and private sectors. Nearly 50 young Nigerians participated in various seminars at universities throughout the US during the inaugural Mandela Washington Fellowship last year. Many more Nigerians who applied to the programme are benefitting from the networking opportunities that we are setting up to ensure that they remain in contact, share ideas, support one another and innovate. The US Mission also facilitates exchanges for academics and professionals. For those who want to study in the US, we offer educational advising that helps the students secure admission to one of the 4,000-plus colleges and universities in the US. We made this investment because we believe that the positive change in Africa will come from a generation that rejects corruption, supports peaceful reforms, and advocates for the rights and dignity of all citizens, regardless of gender, religion, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.
Apart from the Mandela Washington Fellows Programme, otherwise known as the Young Africa Leaders Initiative, what other efforts is your government making to further develop education in this country?
We also have important programmes through USAID to advance education. We are particularly focused in northern Nigeria on creating opportunities for children to learn to read. We are trying to get and keep more kids in school while improving the quality of education. We are investing millions of dollars into these programmes, working closely with Nigerian authorities at the local, state, and national levels. We fully realise that the commitment of parents to keep their kids in school is critical to making sure that both girls and boys get the skills and education they need, to be competitive and successful in the globalised markets of tomorrow.
Nigerians are complaining about how difficult it has become to get a US visa. Why is this so? What can Nigerian applicants do to have their visa applications granted?
Nigerian applicants wishing to visit or study in the US must demonstrate strong ties to Nigeria before a US consular official. Over the years, visa applications in Nigeria have increased. Our consular sections in Abuja and Lagos have worked hard to reduce wait times for our applicants, and we continue to try to streamline our visa process to encourage more Nigerians to visit the US. This is about building cultural ties and strengthening both our economy as well as your economy. In fiscal year 2014, the US Mission to Nigeria received more than 220,000 applications for a variety of visa categories: student visas, tourist visas, exchange visitors, government officials, and others. The majority of these applications resulted in issuances. The US Department of State publishes the adjusted refusal rates for visitor visa applications on its website: http://travel.state.gov. For the last reporting period, 65 per cent of Nigerian visa applications were approved. In other words, almost two in every three applicants are issued visas. Nigerians are issued visas at a higher rate than the citizens of many other countries. I can assure you that all visa applicants, whether they receive a visa or not, will be treated with courtesy and respect.
