Trump expresses his desire to visit Nigeria describing it as an amazing country during talks with Buhari

PRESIDENT Donald Trump has expressed his desire to visit Nigeria describing it as an amazing country yesterday during a meeting he held with President Muhammadu Buhari in the White House.

Yesterday, the two presidents met for the first time in Washington DC, where they discussed  the need to improve trade, technology and human rights records. They also discussed the Fulani herdsmen crisis currently afflicting Nigeria during which President trump is said to have expressed concern over the endless killing of innocent Nigerians.

During the meeting, President Buhari is said to have pointed out that the aftermath of the collapse of Muammer Gadaffi's regime in Libya was aggravating herdsmen crisis in Nigeria. He also appreciated the US government for assisting in Nigeria’s fight against insurgency and its military presence in Nigeria.

President Trump said: “Well, I would like very much to visit Nigeria as it is an amazing country. In certain ways, I hear from the standpoint of the beauty of a country, there’s no country more beautiful."

While President Buhari acknowledged President Trump’s mild gesture about Nigeria’s beauty, it is not immediately certain whether he would invite him to Nigeria. This may be linked to the fact that President Trump also decried Nigeria’s corruption, saying it was massive.

However, President Trump rejected demands that he should relax his stringent immigration policy to allow migrants from poorer countries saying the US is operating a stupid immigration policy that has made it the butt of jokes across the world. Nigeria is one of the countries the president has described in derogatory words when referring to the number of migrants they have in the US.

At the meeting, President Buhari said that Fulani cattle herdsmen in Nigeria do not carry guns but only wield sticks and occasionally machetes. He also said the herdsmen crisis has been an age-long challenge in his country.

President Buhari said: “The problem of herders in Nigeria is a very long historical thing. The Nigerian herders don’t carry anything more than a stick and occasionally a machete to cut down foliage and give it to their animals, these ones are carrying AK-47.

“So, people should not underrate what happened in Libya as during the 43 years of Gadaffi, people were recruited from the Sahel and trained to shoot and kill. With the demise of Gadaffi they moved to other countries and region and carried the experience with them.”

He, however, expressed his gratitude to the US for agreeing to give Nigeria military the aircraft to address security needs. President Buhari also thanked President Trump for the commitment of the US towards getting rid of terrorism across the world.