President Donald Trump is set to host five African heads of state in Washington next week for a summit focused on trade and investment, however, Nigeria is not invited.
The meeting is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, July 9, 2025, with discussions centered around what the White House described as “commercial opportunities.”
The invited countries are Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal. These nations are expected to meet with President Trump and other American officials over the course of the three-day summit, from July 9 to 11, although the White House has confirmed a formal meeting and working lunch only for July 9.
A senior White House official, speaking on Wednesday, said:
“President Trump believes that African countries offer valuable commercial opportunities that benefit both the American people and our African partners.”
The official added that the reason for the summit is to move away from traditional aid and towards mutual trade relationships.
However, Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation and largest economy, was not included in the invitation. This absence has raised questions among observers and political figures in Nigeria.
Former Nigerian Vice President Atiku Abubakar responded to the news in a statement released by his Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, calling the exclusion deliberate and symbolic.
“This exclusion by the Trump administration is not a diplomatic oversight. It is a verdict on Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s chaotic presidency, his divisive chairmanship of ECOWAS, and the complete evaporation of Nigeria’s diplomatic relevance,” the statement read.
Mr. Atiku criticized President Bola Tinubu for what he described as a loss of regional leadership, pointing to the withdrawal of three countries from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) under Tinubu’s tenure.
“Once Africa’s diplomatic compass… Nigeria has now become an afterthought. While others are summoned to negotiate Africa’s future, Nigeria is not even in the room,” the statement added.
The Trump administration has also imposed new travel restrictions on several African countries and reduced foreign aid to the continent, including cuts to USAID programs. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio explained earlier this week that the administration now favors partnerships with countries that demonstrate “both the ability and willingness to help themselves.”
The five selected countries is likely due to political and economic conditions. Gabon and Mauritania are emerging oil producers. Guinea-Bissau and Liberia are aid-dependent nations with significant agricultural potential, while Senegal is considered one of Africa’s more stable democracies.
Critics view Nigeria’s exclusion as a setback to the country’s global and continental standing while others think there is nothing more to it.
Speaking to a TNC Correspondent, an international current affairs observer said it could be a “mere selection process on the U.S. part based on their goals at this time.”
“You can’t necessarily use this as a yardstick to judge our diplomacy and trade relationship with them,” she said.
