Blinken lauds Tinubu’s ‘Bold’ reforms, inaugurates technology, innovation hub in Lekki

The U.S. Mission in Nigeria has inaugurated an innovative and tech enabled American Space in Lagos to support youth innovation, entrepreneurship, and creativity.

Known as the American Corner Lekki, the technology hub supports the Biden Administration’s U.S. Strategy toward Sub-Saharan Africa’s goal to drive digital transformation and foster an inclusive digital ecosystem.

“American entrepreneurs, American companies are eager to partner with and invest in Nigeria’s economy, particularly in the tech sector.

“We have tech giants that are teamed up with Nigerian partners to help the president’s new one million digital jobs Initiative. Other companies are part of work laying undersea cables, using satellite technology to expand access to the internet. Our tech incubators are fostering Nigeria’s next startups.

“Our venture capital companies are working to finance so we want to work in partnership to help drive Nigeria’s technological revolution, which is creating jobs. It’s growing businesses, and it’s growing innovations in both of our countries.

“Because one of the things we’ve learned from these partnerships is that it benefits us as much as any place or any company that we’re investing. We’re learning a lot from we’re getting a lot. And one of the initiatives that President Biden laid out the digital transformation with Africa Initiative, we see it as particularly energized and triggered focus for us.

He is being accompanied by the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, and other U.S. government officials.

This is the second day the U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, will be spending in Nigeria as part of his tour to Africa.

On Tuesday, Nigeria President Bola Tinubu held bilateral talks in Abuja with the visiting United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, who lauded bold economic reforms embarked upon by the President since he assumed office on May 29, 2023.

Addressing newsmen in company of Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Yusuf Tuggar after the bilateral meeting with President Tinubu, the US Secretary of State while welcoming the President’s “bold reforms to unify the currency and end fuel subsidy” stressed the need to remove impediment to capital repatriation.

He said: “Nigeria offers real opportunities for investors at the same time I think it’s no secret that there remains long term challenges that need to be removed to be able to really unlock the full potential, making it easier for foreign companies to repatriate capital.

Blinken, who arrived Nigeria as part of his four-nation African tour, stressed his country’s commitment to strengthen genuine partner with countries in Africa to solve shared challenges.