Amid visa ban, Nigeria-USA Bi-National Commission holds in Washington 

Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, will lead the Nigerian delegation to the event billed for February 3 and 4.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement by its spokesperson, Ferdinand Nwonye, said the BNC has “‘Mutual Prosperity through Innovation and Ingenuity” as its theme.

The government specifically said deliberations during the BNC will focus on areas of mutual interest, including good governance and anti-corruption; trade and  investment; development and food security; and security and counter-terrorism efforts.

Recall that United States President Donald Trump had on Friday, slammed visa ban on Nigeria and five other countries.

Other countries affected by the new ban, according to The Wall Street Journal, are Eritrea, Myanmar and Kyrgyzstan, including Sudan and Tanzania.

In a statement, the foreign ministry spokesman said:: “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to inform that the 5th Session of the Nigeria-United States of America Bi-National Commission (BNC) is scheduled to hold from 3rd to 4th February 2020 in Washington DC.

“The Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency, Geoffrey Onyeama, will lead the Nigerian delegation to the meeting with the  theme ‘Mutual Prosperity through Innovation and Ingenuity.’

“Deliberations at the session will focus on areas of mutual interest, including good governance and anti-corruption; trade and investment; development and food security; and security and counter-terrorism efforts,” Nwonye said.

The ministry also recalled that the Nigeria-US BNC was established in April, 2010, in Washington DC as a platform for closer cooperation between both countries.

“The BNC has continued to serve as a veritable mechanism for sustained bilateral high-level dialogue to promote and coordinate diplomatic, economic, military, technical cultural and social cooperation between Nigeria and the United States of America,” the government also said.