WASHINGTON, DC—On Tuesday, June 9, the U.S.-Nigeria Council for Food Security, Trade & Investment (USNC) hosted a virtual roundtable on U.S.-Nigeria relations during COVID-19 and the role of the private sector in public health and economic recovery. Former U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria and USNC Chairman Terence McCulley welcomed guests and kickstarted the event, which featured remarks from U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria Mary Beth Leonard and Nigerian Minister for Industry, Trade and Investment H.E. Otunba Richard Adeniyi Adebayo.
Ambassador Leonard highlighted various ways the United States is working to combat COVID-19 in Nigeria, including collaborations with Nigerian partners to set up public polling on policy response strategies and local authorities to roll out digital analytics tools to track the spread of the virus. Honorable Minister Adebayo then focused his remarks on the Nigerian Government’s response to the pandemic, as well as his vision for U.S.-Nigeria relations going forward. He outlined the emergency stimulus bill, which seeks to provide temporary relief to both employers and employees, as well as social intervention programs providing direct relief for the most vulnerable. Going forward, Minister Adebayo stressed the importance of leveraging digital tools and technology to reinvigorate the economy, bolstering domestic production and employment.
Following these remarks, USNC Senior Advisor Aubrey Hruby moderated a conversation with several USNC Members, including Oando Group Chief Executive Wale Tinubu, Flour Mills of Nigeria Chairman and Honorary USNC Co-Chair John Coumantaros, and Access Bank Head of Communications Amaechi Okobi. Topics under discussion included the role of Nigeria’s private sector Coalition Against COVID-19 in the country’s relief efforts and the longstanding implications of the virus for Nigeria’s broader digitization.