Antony Blinken arrives in Nigeria, third stop on African tour

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Nigerian President Bola Tinubu in Abuja on Tuesday as he continued his tour of four African countries.

Blinken visited Cape Verde and Ivory Coast on Monday, touting America as the continent's key economic and security ally at times of regional and international crises.

He will continue on to Angola after his visit to Nigeria.

The tour which comes as deadly crises and rampant coups threaten the continent's stability, focuses on trade, security, and democracy promotion.

Analysts say Africa seems to have been pushed to the back burner under President Joe Biden as his administration is increasingly consumed by other international issues such as the war in Ukraine, the Israel-Hamas war, and its rivalry with China.

Biden also failed to visit Africa last year as he promised.