#UNGA | Obama meets with Buhari, Lauds Anti-Corruption, Terrorism War

U.S. President, Barack Obama on Tuesday held talks Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari, where he lauded the effort of the leader of Africa’s most populous nation in the fight against corruption and terrorism.

Both leaders met after President Buhari attended a high-level summit on Monday held in New York to address large movements of refugees and migrants, with the aim of bringing countries together behind a more humane and coordinated approach.

President Buhari and Obama have held talks in the past centred on terrorism in Nigeria’s North East, with the American leader pledging his nation’s support.

The U.S. has also provided support for Nigeria in the rebuilding of the North East devastated by over six years insurgency of the Boko Haram.

In August, the United States government announced over $37 million for humanitarian assistance for the conflict in the Lake Chad Basin region.

While addressing the UN General Assembly on Monday, President Buhari described as disheartening the number of people that have been displaced from their ancestral homes due to the activities of the Boko Haram terrorists in the North East.

He addressed a plenary on “Addressing Movements of Refugees and Migrants” at the UN Headquarters in New York.

He said over 600,000 have turned refugees in neighbouring countries, with two million displaced within the North East.

Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday in New York said his anti-corruption campaign and economic programme of diversification would significantly address the unemployment that makes Nigerian youths vulnerable to recruitment by human traffickers.

The President said this at the meeting on ‘Modern Slavery’ hosted by the Prime Minister of United Kingdom, Theresa May, at the residence of the United Kingdom Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

It came on the margins of the 71stSession of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA71) in New York.

“We are also investing more on infrastructure development, education and health for our people. When the results of our efforts become manifest the attraction of seeking greener pastures abroad will lesson,” he declared.

President Buhari commended the British Prime Minister for drawing the attention of the international community to such a serious matter to coincide with a time that the global focus is on migration and refugee crisis.

He therefore called for practical and innovative measures “to address all the modern day human tragedies.”