President Muhammadu Buhari, 48 African leaders, and the head of the African Union have received an invitation from the President of the United States of America, Joe Biden for a three-day US-Africa Leaders Summit.
The summit, scheduled for 13-15 December 2022, will take place in Washington DC, the US capital, according to a press statement released on Thursday.
According to the statement, Biden believes that U.S. collaboration with African leaders, as well as civil society, business, diaspora, women, and youth leaders, is essential to addressing these shared challenges.
The goal of this historic summit will be to build and expand vital political, economic, and strategic partnerships, as well as people-to-people dialogue, based on mutual interests and shared priorities in Africa.
The statement noted, “The summit’s agenda will be packed, including increasing sustainable food production, strengthening health systems, providing humanitarian assistance, responding to the climate crisis, reinforcing democracy and human rights, boosting U.S.-African trade, advancing peace and security, and even enhancing space research and cooperation.”
According to U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria Mary Leonard, the upcoming summit presents opportunities to deepen U.S.-Nigeria bilateral ties on multiple levels.
Leonard said, “We look forward not only to the Nigerian government’s robust participation in the summit, but also to hearing the views of all stakeholders in Nigeria’s promising future, including independent voices from the private sector, civil society, young people, women, and all those who are working to build a strong and inclusive democracy.”
The summit is also an opportunity for the United States and the American people to reiterate their profound and enduring interest in engaging with Africa as a whole.