President Muhammadu Buhari says that the Nigerian government is ready to work with the US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris and hopes that a strong point of cooperation and support for Nigeria as well as the African continent will be marked.
In a statement by the presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, Buhari congratulated the newly inaugurated US leaders, and the entire country on the successful transition, which marks an important historical inflection point for democracy as a system of government and for the global community as a whole.
“We look forward to the Biden presidency with great hope and optimism for the strengthening of existing cordial relationships, working together to tackle global terrorism, climate change, poverty and improvement of economic ties, and expansion of trade.
“We hope that this will be an era of great positivity between our two nations, as we jointly address issues of mutual interest,” the statement said.
“President Buhari and all Nigerians rejoice with President Joe Biden, sharing the proud feeling that the first woman elected Vice President of the United States has African and Asian ancestry,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, President Biden has reversed a Donald Trump policy that restricted the granting of immigrant visas to Nigerians.
In January 2020, Trump had expanded curbs on immigration to include six more countries, including Nigeria.
At the time, the US government said the policy was designed to tighten security for countries that don’t comply with the US minimum security standards or cooperate to prevent illegal immigration.
But the Biden administration, which campaigned partly on a message of diversity, is seeking to re-open America to the world.
The reversal is part of a 10-day onslaught of executive actions intended to overturn key Trump policies without waiting for Congress, on topics ranging from the COVID-19 pandemic to climate change and criminal justice, local media reports on Thursday, quoting reports by Bloomberg on Wednesday.
The reports added that Biden has halted the US exit from the World Health Organization, stopped construction of Trump’s cherished wall on the Mexican border, and rescinded a ban on visitors from several Muslim-majority nations.
According to the reports, Biden has also committed the United States to rejoining the Paris climate accord, blocked an oil pipeline project, and froze Arctic drilling in a raft of executive orders signed hours after taking office on Wednesday.
GIK/APA