Trump Excludes Nigeria, to Host Five African Nations’ Leaders

U.S. President Donald Trump will host a high-level summit with leaders from five African nations, excluding Nigeria, in Washington next week, a White House official confirmed on Wednesday to Reuters.

The summit, scheduled for July 9, will bring together the presidents of Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal for a working lunch and strategic dialogue on commercial partnerships.

The event aims to explore trade and investment opportunities under what Trump’s team describes as a mutually beneficial economic vision.

“President Trump believes that African countries offer incredible commercial opportunities which benefit both the American people and our African partners,” the White House official said.

Sources, including Africa Intelligence and Semafor, report that the meetings will span from July 9 to 11 and focus on concrete commercial engagements, aligning with Trump’s “America First” policy shift, significantly reducing traditional U.S. foreign aid to the continent. Instead, the former president is emphasising private sector-led development and bilateral trade over large-scale aid programs.

The absence of Nigeria raises eyebrows over the criteria for participation and the state of U.S.-Nigeria relations under Trump’s foreign policy priorities.

Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu is still in St Lucia for an 8-day visit which started on the 29th of June 2025. According to the Presidency, the visit paves the way for the rekindling of our ancestral bonds, igniting a new era of diplomatic, cultural, and economic possibilities between our nations.

So far, President Bola Tinubu has offered scholarships to students in St Lucia and other Caribbean countries despite the high number of out-of-school children. He also offered the relocation of skilled workers in healthcare, education, and technology to the Caribbean countries despite the brain drain that has hit the health sector.