United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. James Entwistle
The United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. James Entwistle, tells BAYO AKINLOYE
that the US government is helping Nigeria to rescue the abducted Chibok
schoolgirls and will not welcome into its country any Nigerian,
particularly politicians who plan or promote violence ahead of and
during the March 28 and April 11 elections
Your
country has been forthright in its condemnation of Boko Haram and its
terrorist activities in Nigeria and other countries. We’ve seen
Washington’s willingness to provide training and intelligence support to
hunt down the insurgents. But frequently, the US has said it is
constrained by the alleged human rights violation history of Nigeria’s
security operatives. Has the situation changed? Has it improved?
It
is important to remember that Nigeria has the primary responsibility
for the safety and security of its citizens. Addressing the threat of
Boko Haram effectively is a daunting task. This is a group that has no
regard for human life. It is a group that is willing to use children to
conduct bombings and intentionally targets civilian spaces. It is a
threat that is not confined by borders. Countering Boko Haram requires
the full effort of Nigeria as well as cooperation with neighbouring
states through a multinational regional task force to jointly confront
Boko Haram. The US is committed to helping Nigeria develop a long-term,
comprehensive approach to combating Boko Haram. By definition, such an
approach must protect civilians, respect human rights, and address the
underlying causes of conflict. We are sharing with the government of
Nigeria practices and strategies that will bolster its future efforts to
defeat this deadly movement.
Many people found it
unbelievable, after 300 days that the more than 200 abducted Chibok
schoolgirls are yet to be rescued. Is the US still interested in helping
Nigeria find these children?
We remain committed to helping the
government of Nigeria address the threat posed by the Boko Haram
terrorist organisation. The US continues to support Nigerian efforts to
bring about the safe recovery of the kidnapped schoolgirls and to advise
the government of Nigeria on its response.
What current efforts, if any, is your country offering Nigeria in order to facilitate their rescue?
We are advising on issues of survivor support, criminal investigations, intelligence, and strategic communications.
Ahead of the rescheduled 2015
general elections, what assistance is the US offering Nigeria to ensure
that it conducts credible, peaceful, free and fair polls?
It is of paramount importance for the
Nigerian people that Nigeria’s 2015 elections be peaceful and credible.
It is vital that the outcome reflect the will of the Nigerian people and
reinforce citizens’ confidence in the legitimacy of their elected
representatives. As Secretary John Kerry said during his visit to Lagos
last month, violence should not be tolerated. Anyone who participates in
violence—including by planning or ordering widespread or systematic
violence against the civilian population based on political opinion—may
be found ineligible for a US visa and would not be welcome in the United
States. We look to all Nigerian politicians, candidates, traditional
leaders, and notable citizens to speak out against the use of violence
or heated political rhetoric and to publicly urge others to do the same.
The US is continuing its partnerships with the Independent National
Electoral Commission, security services, and Nigerian civil society
organisations to facilitate peaceful, credible, free, and fair
elections.
Not a few Nigerians have
expressed misgivings about Washington’s commitment to their country’s
development and democracy. How committed is the US government to
ensuring that Nigeria’s democracy is not truncated ahead of the general
elections?
The US Mission in Nigeria is deeply
committed to helping ensure that the forthcoming elections now slated
for March 28 and April 11 are free, fair, peaceful, and credible. This
underlines why the US officials, including me, have been speaking out
about the importance of non-violence, and we will continue to do so. We
urge all parties and candidates to commit publicly not to condone,
incite, or foment violence before, during, or after the elections.
What economic relationship exists between your country and Nigeria?
The United States and Nigeria enjoy a
strong relationship, with long-standing ties on a wide range of issues.
Nigeria is Africa’s most populous nation, Africa’s largest economy, and a
significant trading partner for the US. The nation is also the largest
destination in sub-Saharan Africa for US private investment—estimated at
some $8 billion in 2012. Bilateral trade (between Nigeria and the
United States) exceeded $9 billion in 2014. There is significant
potential for greater two-way commerce in a wide range of industrial
sectors. Last May, the US Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker led 20
American companies on an energy business development trade mission to
Nigeria, which aimed to promote US exports and expand US commercial
presence in Nigeria and the greater Africa region by helping American
firms launch or increase their business in the energy sector. In 2010,
former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Nigerian Secretary to
the Government of the Federation, Yayale Ahmed, inaugurated the
US-Nigeria Bi-National Commission, a strategic dialogue designed to
expand mutual cooperation across a broad range of shared interests.
You just mentioned the US-Nigeria Bi-National Commission. What exactly is the mandate of the BNC?
The commission is a collaborative forum
to build partnerships for tangible and measurable progress on issues
critical to the United States’ and Nigeria’s shared future. Our previous
BNC forums have given us the opportunity to make important strides in
many areas, including strengthening Nigeria’s Independent National
Electoral Commission, supporting the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission to combat corruption, promoting trade and investment in
Nigeria, and working on the issues of peace and stability in the Niger
Delta and Northeast Nigeria.
Beyond the economic
relationship enjoyed between the two countries, what role does the US
play in the areas of development in Nigeria?
Building on our strong bilateral
relationship with Nigeria, we continue to offer support for
strengthening Nigeria’s democratic institutions and economic
development, while also assisting Nigeria in the health sector. Since
its inception in Nigeria in 2004, the US President’s Emergency Plan for
AIDS Relief has provided more than $3.4 billion to support the Nigeria
HIV/AIDS response. The US has played a role in advancing Nigeria’s
socio-economic development. Through the US Agency for International
Development, we are investing $2.4 billion over a five-year period to
help Nigerian leaders to create jobs, improve education, advance
agriculture, and promote better healthcare. We are working closely with
our Nigerian counterparts to expand access to electricity and increase
electrical production so that more Nigerians get power. We are working
with local government authorities to help more people get access to
water. In the North-East, we are working with local partners to provide
emergency assistance to internally displaced persons in both settlements
and host communities.
How about in the area of education?
President Barack Obama created the Young
Africa Leaders Initiative now known as the Mandela Washington Fellows
Programme. YALI challenges and prepares the next generation of African
leaders to improve their readiness to take charge in both the public and
private sectors. Nearly 50 young Nigerians participated in various
seminars at universities throughout the US during the inaugural Mandela
Washington Fellowship last year. Many more Nigerians who applied to the
programme are benefitting from the networking opportunities that we are
setting up to ensure that they remain in contact, share ideas, support
one another and innovate. The US Mission also facilitates exchanges for
academics and professionals. For those who want to study in the US, we
offer educational advising that helps the students secure admission to
one of the 4,000-plus colleges and universities in the US. We made this
investment because we believe that the positive change in Africa will
come from a generation that rejects corruption, supports peaceful
reforms, and advocates for the rights and dignity of all citizens,
regardless of gender, religion, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.
Apart from the Mandela
Washington Fellows Programme, otherwise known as the Young Africa
Leaders Initiative, what other efforts is your government making to
further develop education in this country?
We also have important programmes through
USAID to advance education. We are particularly focused in northern
Nigeria on creating opportunities for children to learn to read. We are
trying to get and keep more kids in school while improving the quality
of education. We are investing millions of dollars into these
programmes, working closely with Nigerian authorities at the local,
state, and national levels. We fully realise that the commitment of
parents to keep their kids in school is critical to making sure that
both girls and boys get the skills and education they need, to be
competitive and successful in the globalised markets of tomorrow.
Nigerians are complaining
about how difficult it has become to get a US visa. Why is this so? What
can Nigerian applicants do to have their visa applications granted?
Nigerian applicants wishing to visit or
study in the US must demonstrate strong ties to Nigeria before a US
consular official. Over the years, visa applications in Nigeria have
increased. Our consular sections in Abuja and Lagos have worked hard to
reduce wait times for our applicants, and we continue to try to
streamline our visa process to encourage more Nigerians to visit the US.
This is about building cultural ties and strengthening both our economy
as well as your economy. In fiscal year 2014, the US Mission to Nigeria
received more than 220,000 applications for a variety of visa
categories: student visas, tourist visas, exchange visitors, government
officials, and others. The majority of these applications resulted in
issuances. The US Department of State publishes the adjusted refusal
rates for visitor visa applications on its website:
http://travel.state.gov. For the last reporting period, 65 per cent of
Nigerian visa applications were approved. In other words, almost two in
every three applicants are issued visas. Nigerians are issued visas at a
higher rate than the citizens of many other countries. I can assure you
that all visa applicants, whether they receive a visa or not, will be
treated with courtesy and respect.
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