president buhari to leave on an official visit to U.S.A.

The president will hold a bilateral
meeting and a working lunch with the u.s President,
Donald Trump.
The meeting is to discuss ways to
enhance and grow the strategic partnership
between Nigeria and United States
President Muhammadu Buhari will leave
Abuja on Saturday, April 28, on an
official working visit to the United States
of America, on the invitation of President
Donald Trump.
The president’s special adviser on media
and publicity, Femi Adesina, in a
statement in Abuja on Friday, April 27,
said Buhari while in America would hold
bilateral meeting with President Trump
and a working lunch on April 30.
According to Adesina, the meeting is to
discuss ways to enhance the strategic
partnership between the two countries.
He said the meeting would also advance
shared priorities, such as: promoting
economic growth, fighting terrorism and
other threats to peace and security.
“The meeting will further deepen the US-
Nigeria relationship as the United States
considers Nigeria’s economic growth,
security and leadership in Africa to be
critical aspects of their strategic
partnership.
“Later in the day, President Buhari will
meet with a group of business persons in
agriculture and agro-processing, dairy
and animal husbandry,’’ he added.
He said that ahead of the visit by the
President, meetings had been scheduled
on April 26 and 27, between senior
Nigerian Government officials and
executives of major US companies in the
areas of agriculture, aviation and
transportation.
He said that in the area of aviation, the
Nigerian officials would be meeting with
Boeing, the largest aircraft manufacturer
in the world, on the National Carrier
Project.
The presidential aide said: “On
agriculture, they will meet with large
equipment manufacturers with focus on
harvesting and post harvesting equipment.
“In the area of transportation, the
officials will meet with the GE-led
consortium for the implementation of the
interim phase of the narrow gauge rail
concession.
“In the interim phase, a substantive
concession agreement will be negotiated
and finalized to provide the consortium
the opportunity to invest an estimated
$2bn, to modernize the rail line from
Lagos to Kano (Western Line) and from
Port Harcourt to Maiduguri (Eastern
Line).
“During the meeting, the concession
framework and the interim phase
framework agreements are expected to be
signed.’’
He further disclosed that Nigerian
officials would also meet with US-EXIM
Bank and the US Overseas Private
Investment Corporation to explore
competitive financing arrangements.....