Trump to host African leader for first time

After more than a year in office, president Donald Trump for the first time is hosting an African president at the White House.

The meeting with Nige - r ian president Mu hammadu Buhari today comes after an uncomfortable start to the Trump administration’s approach to the world’s second most populous continent.

Security and economic issues top the agenda for the bilateral meeting and working lunch. Nigeria, Africa’ s most populous country with almost 200 million people, is the largest economy on the continent and the leading crude oil exporter. Mr B uh ari was one of the first two African leaders Mr Trump called after he took power, along with South Africa’ s president.

Nigeria is also one of Africa’s most troubled when it comes to extremism. Boko Haram launched a violent insurgency nine years ago with the aim of creating an Islamic state, and tens of thousands of people have been killed. It has also carried out mass abductions of schoolgirls.