Security analyst Obafemi George has predicted that the United States could invite President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a state visit to Washington in the coming months, citing what he described as growing US-Nigeria security cooperation.
Speaking in an interview with TVC, George said the successful rescue of the Oriire kidnap victims had enhanced Nigeria’s international image. He also expressed confidence that the United States would remove Nigeria’s Country of Particular Concern (CPC) designation.
“The whole world was watching us with the Oriire kidnap victims and the fact that we’re able to rescue all of them. I’m sure that in the next couple of months that the CPC label that the US government put on Nigeria will be removed. And in the nearest future, Washington might invite President Tinubu to the US on a state visit. I see that happening the way this is going,” George said.
He added that the biggest benefit of the US-Nigeria counterterrorism partnership would be military training. According to George, President Donald Trump had directed US Navy SEALs to train Nigerian armed forces, saying the transfer of skills and expertise could significantly enhance the military’s operational capacity.