President Barack Obama is hosting Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari for a meeting Monday at the White House with the threat posed by Boko Haram militants expected to top the agenda.
The two leaders, along with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, will also likely discuss proposed political and economic reforms in Nigeria aimed at ending widespread corruption.
The four-day trip is Buhari’s first to Washington since being elected in March and taking office in May in a rare peaceful transition of power in Nigeria. The White House said the visit emphasizes U.S. “commitment to strengthening and expanding our partnership with Nigeria’s new government” and supporting its people.
Buhari will also have breakfast with Biden on Monday and later meet with West African diplomats, World Bank executives, and members of the U.S. Congress. He is scheduled to hold a town hall meeting with Nigerians on Tuesday.
Both the U.S. and Nigeria appear eager to improve relations after years of strained ties under President Goodluck Jonathan. Nigerian officials had turned down some of the assistance the U.S. offered to combat Boko Haram, even after the militant group sparked international outrage with the kidnapping of more than 200 schoolgirls in May 2014.
