30 minutes with David Greene, Acting US Ambassador to Nigeria
The acting United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr David Greene, is no stranger to diplomatic activities in Africa, having served in Morocco and other places. In this interview in Abuja, he speaks on his role as a diplomat, the relationship between Nigeri
Let me start from the somewhat unusual position you have been holding - the acting Ambassador of the United States to Nigeria. We know that President Biden announced a new nominee in July last year, but we are in March of another year and you are still sitting on that chair; what happened?
It is an honour for me to lead the embassy at this time. It is such a consequential post and country. Let me wish Ramadan Karim to all those that are celebrating.
The US-Nigeria relationship is such an important and vital one. The US and Nigeria are not just essential but also natural partners because we share so much in common. So, I am very proud of all we are doing. This mission actively supports so many shared agendas on peace and security, democratic governance, health outcomes, food security, climate change.
Do you have any idea of when the substantive ambassador could be cleared? Are there issues to do with the clearance because we know it is usually a process? What is happening?
Well, it is the US Senate that must provide advice and consent on nomination of ambassadors. And you know it is not uncommon for there to be delays between the confirmation of an ambassador and other officers of the United States.
So, in the interim, I will continue to work and advance US-Nigerian relations in the different fields we are cooperating.
Part of your responsibility is to advance the cause of the United States and its citizens who are based here. What would you say is the main challenge to achieving that at the moment?
What we do as the US mission in Nigeria is of great benefit to both Nigerians and Americans. Of course we protect American citizens that are in Nigeria but we invest billion dollars a year roughly in development and humanitarian assistance.
US businesses have invested over $5billion in Nigeria over the years. We have a two-way trade of $10bn a year, and all those engagements and investments are creating opportunities for Nigerian citizens; they are creating jobs and improving health outcomes.
So, what we are doing together in this very important partnership has dividends for Nigerians and Americans; and quite frankly, beyond, because of Nigeria’s very vital role as an important economic and security actor, not just in the continent but globally.
Indeed, at one point, the
balance of trade between Nigeria and the United States was in favour of Nigeria, which is usually strange because normally, Nigeria imports so much and is usually at the other variance. Why is it so with America? Is it still the situation?
I think it is. Last year, our statistics for 2022 was a slight edge to Nigeria in terms of trade balance.
I think that balanced trade figures to over $10bn a year. It speaks to how kind and symbiotic our partnership is, and all the different levels and ways we engage.
You know there are bulk commodities we buy from each other. You also have tremendous trade and services. Look at what US firms are doing with the Nigerian creative and tech sector, for example, and you would see a trade relationship and investment that is really benefiting both Nigeria and the United States.
What about the issue of wheat because it is one of the main commodities? There’s oil from Nigeria and wheat from the US to Nigeria. And you know that at one point, Nigeria was trying to develop some local capability, I mean capacity in the production, which hasn’t yet happened. Is the US in any way interested in seeing that happen as it could harm its trade interest?
I think we always look at trade as an opportunity for beneficial gains for everybody. And obviously, if we eliminate barriers to trade and allow the market to find its natural
balance where the products we have and what Nigeria has to sell are bought by others, there’s great benefit as it creates wealth and job opportunities everywhere.
I can’t really speak specifically on wheat, but the agric sector is an area we invest very heavily through USAID’s Feed the Future programme, which is intended to strengthen the productivity of Nigerian farmers.
I was recently at the launch of a $22million five-year investment by the US Department of Agriculture in the cocoa value chain in six states that produce cocoa intended to enhance the reliability and income that farmers get, and to support processing and export.
So, when we look at the agric sector in general, it has enormous potential, both in terms of providing livelihood, food security for Nigerians and export potential. And that’s something the United States is really eager to support and cooperate with Nigerians.
Specifically, will the agric department of the US government be interested in boosting the capability of Nigeria to produce more wheat? At the moment, Nigeria is facing huge forex crisis and part of it is caused by this outflow for wheat for other products we consume. Would US be interested in that kind of help to Nigeria?
We are always looking for areas of collaboration. I think we can help because we are such a large agricultural producing country. We have the technical means to help Nigerian farmers produce more and enhance the value chain.
We all know that a lot of Nigerian agricultural wealth is lost because of post harvest challenges or lack of cold chain and lack of effective transportation. These are areas where the US Department of Agriculture and USAID and other parts of our government have vast experience in trying to help with successful and enhanced agricultural production all over.
I think there’s a lot we can do in the agric sector. We have an Office of Foreign Agricultural Service in Lagos, which works very closely with producers and policy makers across Nigeria to try and enhance Nigerian agriculture.
Going into the future, where is the tech matter? Where exactly is the US in terms of trying to make the best of some Nigeria’s talents without necessarily taking them away from the country?
Absolutely, the tech sector is very exciting and vibrant. This is one of those areas I think the US-Nigeria relationship is very strong because of shared characteristics our two countries have.
We are two great federal republics. Nigeria has the largest population, economy and democracy on the continent; and those are things we are very proud of - the size of our economy and the stability of our democracy.
Both countries also have this entrepreneurial innovative culture, which is what has driven so much of the success in the tech sectors, and there’s a natural fit there.
Look at American tech firms like Google, Microsoft or Meta and Equinex and you would know that we are making enormous investments and creating jobs in Nigeria. Look at Nigerian firms like Flutterwave or Interswitch, which are some of Africa’s tech giants.
Nigeria pulls so much of the investment on the continent because of the vibrancy and the dynamism of the Nigerian tech sector with regard to how our close ties are contributing to this.
Some of Nigeria’s biggest tech leaders like Flutterwave and Interswitch were founded by Nigerians who studied in the United States and brought what they experienced in their exposure to Nigeria in innovative ways that have contributed immensely to the economy and job creation.
But there are issues in the big tech companies. Even in the US, there are still questions about the role of the big ones and whether they are giving back as much as they are taking. Here in Nigeria, if we are talking of the industry, the media is dying while the Googles and the Yahoos of this world are flourishing. Is there something the US can do, given the internal
conversation within the country? I have seen the bosses of all the big companies being hauled before the Senate and the Congress to answer questions about some of their practices. Is there any concern that the media, for example, in Nigeria, is on the brink of almost extension because the big companies are just hovering their information and giving them peanuts?
Well, I am not an expert on the media sector, but I do think the transformation of media globally is something the internet is driving at a very rapid clip.
This is precisely where the US-Nigeria partnership is very important because Nigeria is a leader in tech, not just for the country or the region, the continent but globally. We can really benefit a lot from our close partnership when it comes to setting the rules of the road.
An example is Artificial Intelligence (AI), which is on everybody’s lip these days. There are lots of questions about what’s appropriate, how it is to be used, how we are to safeguard ourselves against misusing it. We are also fighting misinformation and disinformation.
There are lots of efforts to sort of establish the rules of the road on how we can use AI safely and responsibly. That’s an area the US is really seeking, promoting and working closely with Nigeria as a partner, especially given the importance of tech in contributing to those economies. We have a very vested interest, not just in the successful AI sector but in a responsible one.
We are working together to establish the rules of the road, and that’s part of what a strong US-Nigeria relationship can bring for our countries and the world.
I am wondering whether the US is not just concerned about itself but also about other societies like Nigeria, where tech companies are having a field day making tonnes of money and giving small change to those who generate some of the information they use on their platforms. By your assessment, do you think enough is being done?
I think we see the tech sector as a tremendous field of opportunity for economic growth, investment and job creation.
Look at the value Nigerian tech firms have created and the jobs they are creating across Nigeria. Look at the opportunity it provides and think of how that establishes the country as a tech hub in the region and the continent, drawing more investment.
When you look at them you know the investments that are made by major US tech firms,