New York, September 2025 – Nigeria has once again positioned itself at the center of global economic and diplomatic conversations as its Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, urged the United States to strengthen strategic partnerships with Africa’s anchor states, with Nigeria taking the lead as the continent’s foremost destination for investment and cooperation. Tuggar made this call during a high-level roundtable organized by the Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU) on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, an event that gathered senior American policymakers, Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima, and chief executives of major U.S. corporations.
Addressing participants at the dialogue, Minister Tuggar emphasized that a renewed U.S.–Nigeria partnership is not only timely but crucial to unlocking Africa’s economic potential in priority sectors such as energy, agriculture, finance, and technology. He explained that Washington must recalibrate its Africa strategy by prioritizing collaboration with anchor states countries with the size, resources, and continental influence to serve as gateways for sustainable development. Nigeria, he stressed, stands out as the most natural partner for such a strategy due to its sheer population size, abundant natural resources, youthful talent pool, and growing regional leadership.
“The United States should revert to working with anchor states in Africa, such as Nigeria,” Tuggar declared. “Our vast population, abundant resources, and continental scale make Nigeria a natural destination for U.S. business partnerships. Such collaborations will drive down costs, allow global investors access to a wide pool of talent, and help integrate millions of informal businesses into the formal economy, ensuring sustainable and inclusive growth.”
The Minister also highlighted the ongoing reforms under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which is focused on economic diplomacy, market liberalization, infrastructure expansion, and creating a more investor-friendly climate. According to Tuggar, these reforms are designed not only to attract foreign direct investment but also to guarantee that global partnerships translate into tangible benefits for ordinary Nigerians. He noted that Nigeria’s resilience, coupled with its position as Africa’s largest economy and its leadership in regional organizations, makes it uniquely positioned to serve as a reliable partner for the United States in advancing shared global objectives such as energy transition, food security, digital transformation, and financial inclusion.
Vice President Kashim Shettima’s presence at the roundtable reinforced the message that Nigeria is committed at the highest levels to deepening ties with the United States and ensuring that investors see Nigeria as a safe, profitable, and strategic destination for long-term collaboration. The engagement with American business leaders provided a platform to showcase Nigeria’s competitive edge, demographic advantage, and reform-driven approach to growth, which together lay the foundation for a stronger U.S.–Nigeria partnership that will extend across sectors and generations.
By using the global stage of the United Nations General Assembly, Minister Tuggar’s remarks underscored Nigeria’s ambition not just to attract investment but also to redefine Africa’s relationship with the world’s largest economies. His call for Washington to anchor its Africa policy on strong states like Nigeria is a reminder that the continent’s future prosperity lies in strategic alliances built on mutual trust, shared vision, and sustainable outcomes. With its human capital, vast markets, and natural resources, Nigeria stands ready to be both a reliable partner for the United States and a continental leader in shaping Africa’s economic future.
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