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Nigeria’s opposition alliance has blamed President Bola Tinubu for the country’s exclusion from a high-level African summit at the White House this week, calling it a “damning international indictment” of his administration’s foreign policy and economic stewardship.
In a statement issued Wednesday, African Democratic Congress (ADC) spokesperson Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi criticised Tinubu’s leadership, saying Nigeria’s absence reflected its declining global influence despite being Africa’s largest economy and most populous country.
“Although we are Africa’s largest economy, with the continent’s biggest consumer market and most influential diaspora, the United States chose to bypass us in favour of countries whose combined GDP is only a fraction of ours,” Abdullahi said.
The summit, hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump from July 9 to 11, includes the leaders of Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal. Trade, investment, and regional security top the agenda as the Trump administration shifts towards a “trade not aid” approach to African development.
While the U.S. has not publicly explained its selection criteria, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said shortly before the summit announcement that Washington would prioritize partnerships with African nations “that have demonstrated both the ability and willingness to help themselves.”
Nigeria’s exclusion comes amid rising tensions between Abuja and Washington. On Sunday, Trump announced a new 10% tariff on Nigeria and other BRICS-aligned countries, accusing the bloc of pursuing “anti-American” policies. Nigeria joined BRICS as an official partner in January and has since called for reforms in global governance—comments viewed as veiled criticism of U.S. leadership.
Abdullahi argued that the snub and recent tariffs were signs of Nigeria’s deteriorating diplomatic standing.
“Only a few years ago, it would have been unthinkable for a major summit like this to take place without Nigeria. It shows just how far our global influence has eroded under this administration,” he said.
