 Good afternoon, everybody. Good afternoon. My name is Nancy Lindborg. I'm the President of the United States Institute of Peace, and I'm delighted to welcome everybody here today and delighted to welcome Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of African Affairs, Linda Thomas Greenfield, who's here today for a very important policy speech on the U.S.-Nigeria partnership. And I'm pleased to welcome so many of you representatives from the U.S. government, from the private sector, from NGOs, and for all of you who are joining us by webcast. And for those of you who are Twitter followers, you can use the hashtag U.S.-Nigeria to help us expand out this important conversation. I would like to recognize U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria James N. Whistle, wonderful to have you here today, Assistant Secretary Ann Richard, and the rest of the delegation from the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria and State Department who are here with us today. I'd also like to recognize and thank for being here at the Charger d'affaires of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mr. Hakim Balugun, welcome. Senior Director, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Vivian Okeke, is Vivian here with us, and the Nigerian Embassy for your valuable partnership. I want to welcome members of the Nigeria delegation who are in D.C. this week to participate in bilateral discussions, including the Minister of Transport who we're delighted to have here. And I would be remiss if I didn't also welcome Professor Jega, is Professor Jega here with us? There he is. You served Professor as President of Nigeria's Independent Electoral Commission exactly one year ago today, so we're delighted to have you here for an important anniversary. Welcome. And for those of you who are new to USIP, we were founded in 1984 by Congress as an independent national institute dedicated to the proposition that peace is possible, it's practical and it's essential for US and global security. And we pursue this vision of a world without violent conflict by working with partners on the ground and equipping individuals, organizations and governments with the tools, the knowledge and the training to manage conflict so it doesn't become violent and to help resolve it when it does. We have had a long engagement in Nigeria stretching back over a decade. Last month I had the opportunity to visit Nigeria and I saw firsthand how our partners are promoting interfaith dialogues in the middle belt. They're using facilitated dialogue to strengthen relationships between civil society and security representatives and addressing the local causes of extremism in the north. And as part of a larger effort to address the root causes of conflict in northern Nigeria, USIP is building on our 2014 northern Nigeria governor's symposium by reconvening current northern governors and establishing a senior working group of key Nigerian civic leaders to seek consensus for a more inclusive national approach to peace and political processes. President Buhari spoke about this when he was at USIP less than a year ago shortly after he was elected and in the speech, President Buhari vowed to end the culture of violence that Boko Haram represents calling for his government at all levels to be responsive, inclusive and accountable. And during that same visit, President Buhari and President Obama pledged to rekindle a vibrant bilateral discussion between our two countries. And so in that spirit, I'm delighted to host Assistant Secretary Linda Thomas-Greenfield two days before the US-Nigerian Binational Commission meeting. Moderating today's conversation will be Assistant Secretary, the conversation with Assistant Secretary Thomas-Greenfield is our own USIP senior advisor, Ambassador Princeton Lyman, who himself has been a critical player in the region for a very long time. Ambassador Lyman had a distinguished career in the US government. He served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs. He was an ambassador to Nigeria and many of us know his work as a special envoy to Sudan and South Sudan. It is now my distinct pleasure to introduce Linda Thomas-Greenfield. Linda has led the Bureau for African Affairs as Assistant Secretary for nearly three years. During that time, she's brought particular leadership towards Sub-Saharan Africa. And prior to her appointment as Assistant Secretary, she served as Director General of the Foreign Service, Director of Human Resources, which is an apt position, given her more than three decades at the State Department. She was Ambassador to Libya and served in Switzerland, Pakistan, Kenya, the Gambia, Nigeria, and Jamaica. She's also a fiercely dedicated and bold member of the Foreign Service, which I knew when I first met her in Quetta more than 20 years ago, as she's maintained that level of dedication that we all so admire. So please join me in welcoming Assistant Secretary Thomas-Greenfield. Good afternoon. Thank you, Nancy. And let me thank you as well as USIP for hosting us today and for the fantastic work that you are doing in Nigeria and around the world to advance peace. In case anyone has any doubts about the extent of Nigeria's importance in Africa and the world, let me share a few statistics with you. And you probably know these already. Nigeria's population is projected to reach 400 million by 2050, overtaking the United States and becoming the third most populous country in the world. The medium age in Nigeria, 18. Nigeria is Africa's largest economy and Africa's largest producer of oil. The country's middle class of roughly 50 million people is expected to help grow the country into one of the top 10 global economies by 2050. But despite Nigeria's size and resources, the United Nations estimated in 2011 that 54% of the population lives on less than $1.25 a day. And 16% of Nigeria's children die before reaching their fifth birthday, largely as a result of preventable diseases. These statistics paint the picture of a country with enormous potential and opportunities ahead of it, yet daunting challenges it must tackle in order to succeed. There is cause, however, for cautious optimism at this juncture and in the future. And the United States looks forward to doing everything we can to partner with Nigeria and to seize the moment. Why is it so important to seize the moment? It's simple. We need a strong, proactive Nigeria because it's in Nigeria's interest, it's in the region's interest, and it's in the world's interest. But more importantly, it is in the United States' interest as well. And so the question in front of us all today is, what can we do as a country to support a strong, proactive, and prosperous Nigeria? When Nigeria gained independence in 1960, its people had high hopes, sort of the way people felt last year. The country had new universities, Africa's first television station, and many natural resources. It had doctors and lawyers and engineers and accountants, and many exceptionally experienced and professional civil servants. But ethnic tensions, a civil war, and a series of coups undermine that optimism. And despite progress in the past year, Nigeria still faces many significant challenges today. Corruption results in billions of dollars of losses every year. The estimates are staggering, with many billions of dollars plundered in the last decade alone. Although much of this money that has been siphoned off will likely never be seen again, imagine the impact that this money could have had on Nigeria's infrastructure and on Nigeria's economy. Despite boasting some strong universities, the overall education system is weak, and the literacy rate is estimated at only 61%. Nigeria has also struggled to provide adequate and reliable power to its citizens, despite its vast natural resources, with only 45% of its citizens currently having access to electricity. Boko Haram, which now declares itself an affiliate of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, is having a devastating impact in the northeast, still killing dozens of citizens weekly. Economic growth has slowed. Unemployment and lack of opportunity, especially in the northern states, are undermining hope and playing into the narrative that extremists use as a recruitment tool. But despite the challenges, the way I see it, Nigeria has incredible potential and opportunity. Its people are strong, they're resourceful, and they are resilient. It is blessed with natural resources ranging from oil and gas, to mighty rivers, to highly productive agricultural land and people. It produces world-class intellectuals, artists, entrepreneurs, business leaders. Its music, literature, and nollywood are appealing and increasingly to a global audience. Looking at the years ahead, if Nigeria implements sound policies, it has the potential to regain its role as a strong and effective global player, a leader on the African continent and an engine of economic growth, not just for Nigeria, but throughout West Africa and the continent, and I dare say even the world. We want to partner with Nigeria, with its people, with its government, to make that a reality. And we want to work with Nigeria on the issues of global importance, such as climate change, nuclear security, sustainable development, strengthening collaboration on global health priorities, and countering violent extremism. While acknowledging the challenges ahead, I want to recognize what Nigeria has accomplished in the past year. The election last spring was a historic moment for the country, for the rest of the continent, and for the world. The smooth transition from President Jonathan to President Bihari served as a model for all of Africa. Why was the election such a success? It's simple. The people of Nigeria were determined to get out and vote because they were determined that their ballots be counted and because the electoral commission did an outstanding job. And I'm so pleased that Mr. Jega is here to join us today to share in that great success. Thank you again, sir. But then the ultimate because was because the candidates respected the results. Going forward, the world now looks to Nigeria as a powerful model and an exporter of democratic ideals. In the aftermath of the elections, Nigerians have found newfound optimism and an opportunity to set their country on a path to capitalize on its nearly unlimited potential. The election was a first and a major step toward Nigeria fundamentally altering its course and the country today stands at a crossroad. This is a moment. It's a moment that we must work together to seize. President Bihari, who spoke here at USIP last summer following his election, enjoys the support of a majority of Nigerians and widespread international goodwill. This provides him the opportunity to push through key reforms. We fully support an ambitious reform agenda and will continue to do all we can to help Nigeria succeed. President Bihari's trip to Washington and meeting with President Obama and Secretary Kerry last July was an important moment and a boost to our bilateral relations. We are very excited about hosting President Bihari again at the Nuclear Security Summit on Thursday and Friday and hosting the foreign minister and many of his colleagues for the US-Nigeria Binational Commission on Wednesday. And I know some of you are here today for that meeting. So let me repeat because I think it's a good message worth repeating. Everybody here, but all over the world and all over Nigeria, everybody wants to see Nigeria succeed. And our goals within the US government are to do everything we can to partner with Nigeria for success. Those include three primary goals that align closely with President Bihari's objectives. Fighting corruption, creating jobs and opportunity and defeating Boko Haram. Let me share some of the details on our collaboration with Nigeria in these areas. First, we are very encouraged that President Bihari has staked out a strong position on combating corruption. As President Obama said when he addressed the African Union in Ethiopia last year, nothing will unlock Africa's economic potential more than ending the cancer of corruption. And President Bihari himself said, corruption is the big monster of all threatening Nigeria. President Bihari was elected on an anti-corruption platform and already he is following through on some key promises. He and his vice president have declared their assets and he has made clear that no one will be immune from prosecution, not officials from past administrations, not officials from his own. The government has also implemented a treasury single account for improved management and transparency of the government's finances and has started to eliminate ghost workers bloating the civil service payrolls. US anti-corruption efforts in Nigeria are complimenting efforts like these and focusing on capacity building assistance to civil society watchdogs, to journalists, law enforcement agencies and to the judiciary. These efforts will help prevent new corruption, expose, investigate and prosecute acts of corruption and will trace and to the extent possible recovered plundered resources. We are also supporting efforts by the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the judiciary to investigate and prosecute complex corruption cases. We have engaged religious communities who are very powerful force in Nigeria to join in the fight against corruption. Corruption will be fought, not just through technical assistance, but through widespread social change. We hope to see Nigeria join the Open Government Partnership and the Partnership on Illicit Finance to further these anti-corruption efforts and join the growing global community that is using OGP and PIF to strengthen transparency, accountability and good governance to deliver better government to their citizens. If Nigeria continues to build upon these initial anti-corruption steps, it has real potential to set a powerful example for the rest of the continent as well as for the world. We all know how Nigeria's image is sometimes closely associated with corruption, but imagine if Nigeria becomes synonymous with a vigorous fight against corruption. If Nigeria is able to tackle corruption, that would set a great global model for the world. And within Nigeria, progress in combating corruption will have huge benefits, including helping to ensure badly needed resources can flow to prosecuting the fight against Boko Haram, demonstrating a commitment to transparency and accountability, stimulating the economy and improving Nigeria's intellectual international appeal as an investment destination. It will conceivably and concretely impact the daily lives of average Nigerian citizens. More broadly, we're providing support for Nigeria to build citizens' rights focused government institutions both in Abuja and at the subnational level. USAID is building capacity and key government agencies to strengthen fiscal responsibilities and to improve transparency. And Nigeria's civil society organizations are becoming a force for democracy. We're working with these organizations who are a critical arm of democracy to strengthen their ability to engage with the governments on issues of fiscal accountability, budget monitoring, as well as transparency. Civil society organizations are reviewing government expenditures, holding workshops on public information disclosure for government ministries, in a particular and a very positive example, and NGO's efforts to set up an anonymous public tip line was adopted by the Nigerian police. And now the NGO and the police are working together to ensure that the line is effective. This support for strong government institutions and a powerful civil society is fundamental to Nigeria achieving all of its goals. Because as President Obama said in Africa, Africa doesn't need strong men, it needs strong institutions. So our work together is not just about fighting corruptions, it's about supporting Nigerian efforts to improve governance and service delivery at all levels of government by strengthening government institutions. Fighting corruption is central to our efforts on a second shared goal, strengthening the Nigerian economy to support a dynamic private sector that can provide jobs, jobs for the Nigerian people, jobs for Nigerian youth, fighting graph is critical to achieving this goal, but on its own it's not enough. Nigeria also needs strong macro economic policies and a clear commitment to private sector-led economic growth. A very good place to start is Nigeria's underdeveloped and low-yielding power and energy sectors. Here, Nigeria has already begun ambitious reforms and it is important that those reforms succeed. A turnaround in the power sector is crucial for unlocking economic growth and for creating jobs. President Obama's Power Africa initiative is playing a critical role in supporting Nigeria's efforts to improve power supply, including by supporting efforts to increase financial viability of Nigeria's distribution companies, supporting the rehabilitation and expansion of Nigeria's transmission infrastructure and helping to unlock Nigeria's electricity generation capacity. Through Power Africa, we are also supporting Nigeria's ongoing efforts to liberalize and privatize its power sector and expand opportunities for private sector-led investment in converting natural gas to power and renewable energy and energy efficient technology. Given ongoing grid generation and distribution constraints, Power Africa is also focusing on expanding electricity connections through off-grid energy solutions. While getting large-scale projects right is so important, small off-grid projects that can easily be brought to scale are necessary as well. In partnership with General Electric, for example, the US African Development Foundation and USAID, Power Africa has awarded six $100,000 grants to entrepreneurs for innovative off-grid energy projects in Nigeria. In addition to Power, country-wide connections for phone service and the internet is essential for Nigeria's economy to succeed. And this is another one of our important areas of support to Nigeria. We have assisted the Nigerian government in the planning and implementation of investments in telecommunications infrastructure in rural areas and we're looking to continue this support. Building on these initial successes, there are areas in which we stand ready to partner with Nigeria to help the government advance important goals, including increasing non-oil revenue, investing in road infrastructure and further diversifying the economy. To lay the groundwork for progress in all these areas, it is essential that Nigeria take steps to implement macroeconomic policies that benefit all Nigerians and create incentives for investment, including a level playing field for small and medium-sized enterprises. Right now, the difference between the official and the parallel exchange rates leads to higher inflation, presents opportunities for rent-seeking and a misallocation of resources. Also, capital controls that limit access to foreign exchange rewards insiders and undermines the stated goals of Nigeria to increase domestic production because both Nigerian and expat investors alike tell us many businesses are unable to obtain the capital to purchase badly needed intermediate goods. An overly rigid exchange rate, capital controls and import bans benefit insiders and could undermine the key economic colors of the Bihari administration, namely the fight against corruption and the need to expand growth. Improving Nigeria's education system is also central to improving labor productivity, to economic development, and to creating opportunities. USAID is working in Nigeria to improve the quality of teaching and learning, to increase equitable access to education and integrate peace-building and safety into school communities. Our efforts to promote girls' education and women's entrepreneurship are key because we know when women are empowered, they empower their families, they empower their communities, and they empower their countries. President Obama's Young African Leaders Initiative is also having a major impact in Nigeria and throughout the continent. We have doubled the number of Yali Fellows this year to 1,000, with 100 coming from Nigeria up from 40 last year. As we comb through the thousands of applications, we marveled at the high quality of the Nigerian applicants. So many talented and enthusiastic young people poised to make a difference in their country and in the world. Let me quickly share a story about one Yali fellow named Temitayo Etumi. And she's from Nigeria. She attended the Business and Entrepreneurship Institute at Clark Atlanta University in 2014. Temitayo founded a nonprofit network of entrepreneurs and young professionals who are committed to reducing unemployment in Nigeria by at least 25% by building the skills of unemployed Nigerians. So upon returning home from the fellowship, her nonprofit organization has employed and trained more than 100 Nigerians with the aim of creating 1.2 million jobs for Nigerian youth by 2020. That's a huge and ambitious agenda, but she's well on her way to achieving it. It's the kind of dedication we need in order to accomplish all of our goals in Nigeria. And it's the kind of entrepreneurship spirit and ingenuity that Nigeria needs. We will continue to work with Nigeria to find new ways in which to tap into the potential to drive the kind of growth that we know Nigeria is capable of. Effective and sustainably combating corruption and creating jobs and opportunity depends greatly on the third central goal of strengthening security throughout the country. Our security cooperation with Nigeria focuses both on immediate Boko Haram threat and the medium term stabilization objectives. Our security partnership also relies on a mutual understanding that respect for human rights and protection of civilians is critical to winning the battle against Boko Haram. Boko Haram continues to devastate local communities and the conflict has created a major humanitarian crisis in Nigeria and beyond its borders. Let me be clear, Nigeria and its regional allies must lead the fight against Boko Haram. For our part, we are committed to work with Nigeria, its neighbors and other nations of goodwill to help develop a comprehensive Nigeria led strategy to secure a lasting peace. Through our counter Boko Haram strategy, we are focused on assisting the efforts of Nigeria and its neighbors in the fight against Boko Haram by helping them to weaken Boko Haram's capacity, to weaken their financing and cohesion and counter and prevent the factors that can lead individuals to violent extremism, promote more inclusive and capable local governments to address the underlying drivers of insecurity and respond to the humanitarian needs of civilians who have been affected by Boko Haram. We are providing a range of security assistance to Nigeria and we have stepped up information sharing efforts. One component of our strategy is providing support to the multinational joint task force which includes soldiers from Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Nigeria and Benin. We are providing advisors, we are sharing intelligence, we are training logistical support and we're providing equipment. This is part of a regional approach to a problem that transcends borders. And as the second anniversary of the Chiba Girls captivity approaches, we continue to actively support the efforts to locate these girls. None of us has given up on the fight to bring these girls home. We are equally concerned about the thousands of other victims of Boko Haram which by some measure is the most deadly terrorist organization in the world today. Through the security governance initiative which President Obama launched in 2014 with six African partners including Nigeria, we're exploring ways to enhance the management of security and justice systems so that the government of Nigeria can provide these services including in the Northeast more efficiently and effectively. I also think there are some important moves Nigeria must make in its efforts to defeat Boko Haram. First, it is critical that the foot soldiers of Boko Haram especially those who may not have joined willfully are able to leave the group and eventually be accepted back into their communities. The need for these pathways is one of the key lessons we've learned from conflicts across the globe. We're ready to help Nigeria support and encourage such defections and reintegration. And I know that this is a difficult task but it is absolutely necessary as we move forward. Second, people who have been forcibly displaced by Boko Haram must not be asked to return to their homes before their communities are safe and the displaced themselves feel ready to return. Premature returns put IDPs in undue harm and are inconsistent with international norms. This too is an area where we look forward to working with the Nigerians and the United Nations system. Third, Nigerians should invest more federal resources to meet the humanitarian needs of the victims of Boko Haram while developing and implementing a long-term development strategy in cooperation with state governments and local authorities. We're optimistic about the commitment Nigeria is showing to improving its security and we will continue pressing our Nigerian partners to respond to threats responsibly, professionally, and transparently. While I'm focused on three specific goals in the U.S.-Nigeria relationship, our cooperation of course runs much, much deeper. Take the health sector, for example, we cannot achieve our shared global goals in health if we don't partner with the Nigerian government. We're very pleased the Bahari administration is committed to picking up more of the cost of our joint health programming. Since 1994, we've provided $4.2 billion to Nigeria in HIV, AIDS prevention, treatment, and care. Nigeria has had some great health accomplishments. The country's quick and coordinated response to the Ebola case was critical to preventing a potential catastrophe in Lagos and elsewhere. Similarly, thanks to coordinated efforts by all levels of the Nigerian government, by civil society and religious leaders, and tens of thousands of dedicated health workers, Nigeria went from having the majority of the world's polio cases to being declared polio-free. That's a major accomplishment. Many challenges remain, however, including in HIV and AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and we will work closely with Nigeria going forward on these and other health-related issues. So let's look at the way forward. Looking ahead, the Bi-National Commission on Wednesday is a fantastic opportunity for senior leaders from the United States and Nigeria to come together in one room to advance all of the priorities I just discussed as well as those we have not had time for today. It's a big agenda with Nigeria. But let me turn to that question I asked earlier. What can we do to support a strong, proactive, and prosperous Nigeria? When I look out at all of you in the audience, I see a diverse group of individuals who can play a positive role. I see members of the diaspora who can promote investment and spur development in their communities of origin, as well as urge governments to adopt effective policies. I see academics and individuals from think tanks that can identify creative solutions to problems and advise governments on those solutions. I see folks from the business community who can help create more jobs in Nigeria. I see civil society representatives who can hold government officials accountable and demand better governance and respect for human rights. I see members of the media who can raise awareness of Boko Haram's despicable attacks as well as report on Nigeria's progress. And of course, I see members of the diplomatic corps who represent their governments here in Washington and convey your views to their governments. Again, I'll go back to opportunity because I firmly believe that Nigeria has incredible potential for leadership in Africa. And for Nigeria, this is a pivotal moment. The opportunity is right there in front of us. So together, let's redouble our efforts to partner with Nigeria and seize the moment. Thank you very much. And I look forward to your questions. Well, thank you. Thank you for an extraordinarily comprehensive discussion of U.S.-Nigeria relations. And we all learned a lot. Thank you very much. Let me just explain a little bit how we're going to proceed. I'm going to ask a question. And then I'm going to ask Ms. Okake if she would like to ask a question from the Nigerian delegation here and then take a couple of questions from the media and then open it up for everyone. We will close at 315. So we'll proceed in that way and ask you when you do ask a question to identify yourself and any institutional affiliation. But let me ask a question. Let me ask you to broaden out from just Nigeria because when you look at the problems of violent extremism, Boko Haram, but then you look broadly in the Sahel, the attacks in Burkina Faso, in Mali, in Cote d'Ivoire, and indications of its spreading. Is there a way, both organizationally and other ways, to create a more Sahel-wide approach to this that draws on religious institutions, strong leadership institutions, Senegal as well as elsewhere, as well as government and non-government and covering all the countries that might, by working together, be able to address this more effectively? That's exactly what we hope to achieve. We know that terrorism has no boundaries, that what is happening in Nigeria, which really started in Nigeria, has spread to Nigerian neighbors, and we know that it can spread further afield. As we look at the situation in the Sahel and we attempt to work with those governments who have created something called the G5, where they themselves are working together in the Sahelian countries to address the threats that they face, we do see a broader opportunities for other countries to collaborate and cooperate and work with us to fight terrorism across the continent of Africa. A lot of what we need to do is build capacity in those countries, in their security services, but also we need to build capacity in their governments so that their governments can make the right decision. And then I think more importantly, we have to get them to talk to each other. We have to get them to work together with each other. I think we do have a start with the G5 and we have a start with the multinational task force, which is in its nascent stages, but then we need to look more broadly at what the African Union, as the regional organization for the continent can do to support efforts at regional coordination and cooperation. So a lot of work needs to be done, but I think we've made some baby steps in that direction. We have to make bolder steps as we go forward in the future. Good, thank you. Thank you. Mr. Keke, where's the Nigerian embassy? She's not here. Is there someone from the Nigerian delegation that would like to ask a question? Yes, please. And we have someone with microphone and we bring a microphone here. Thank you very much, Madam Assistant Secretary. My name is Usman Seriki. I'm the ambassador and acting permanent representative of Nigeria to the United Nations in New York. Thank you so much for your very detailed and more than sufficient rendition of the situation in Nigeria and the relations with the United States. I would just like to ask for the in view of the bounty granted to us by God in terms of arable land, water and agriculture, livestock and so forth. What will the United States do in terms of advancing food security? Not only in Nigeria, but in the entire sub-region in order to address one of the fundamental issues that is actually given rise to by the sustainable development goals in all of the United Nations. Thank you. That's an excellent question. And Nigeria, as I mentioned in my speech, has extraordinary potential in terms of natural resources. And when I talk about natural resources, I'm not talking about oil. You do have arable land. You have immense populations. And I would say that you've not fully taken advantage of those opportunities. Food security is a major problem across the continent of Africa. Nigeria and other countries on the continent ought to be self-sufficient in food. And at minimum, countries in Africa ought to be able to export food within the continent of Africa so that the needs are not so great. USAID has programs to support food security. They have programs that build capacity to create jobs, and as I mentioned again, this is a priority for all of us as we move forward. If young people on the continent of Africa are not vested in their countries, if they don't have opportunities for jobs, if they don't have opportunities for education, they're more susceptible to extremist ideologies. So we are working with your government as well as other governments in the region to try to address some of those challenges so that these countries can start to build their economies and expand their economies so that they can provide for their people. Thank you, Mr. Ambassador. Can I get, is there any questions from the media? It's hard for me to see, but yeah. Right, the gentleman is in his hand right there. It's a lady. Okay, yeah. I'm sorry. My name is Ladi, I work with premium times, Washington Bureau, yeah. And my question is about Boko Haram and ISIS. The currently in the media, there's a lot of talk about as Boko Haram, I'm sorry, as ISIS loses territory in Iraq, they are moving more and more into Libya. And it's almost like they're having their headquarters moved to Libya. We all know that it was the fall of the Gaddafi government that really emboldened Boko Haram. So, and also we understand that General Rodriguez, the commandant of Africa, is about to retire, something like that. What is the new plan or in what ways the US going to like up its assistance to Nigeria to combat what we think is going to be a resurgence as ISIS moves more and more into Libya? When I came into this job three years ago, I realized I had to get really smart on what was happening in Libya because of the Boko Haram threat. But more importantly, the countries in Africa raised that as an issue over and over again. So when you talk to Mali or Niger or Chad, their biggest concern was the threat coming out of Libya with the instability in Libya and more recently with the rise of ISIL in Libya. We have been proactively working in that region in Niger as well as Chad to address the impending threat that AQIM, but also ISIL has posed in that region. And in the case of Nigeria, Boko Haram declared its allegiance to ISIL and that makes the Boko Haram threat even more relevant to the rest of the world. For those of us who work in Africa and know what is happening in Nigeria, the Boko Haram threat was always there. They didn't need the ISIL connection to make themselves any more deadly because in my view, we've seen examples where they've been more deadly than ISIL in terms of the numbers of people they have killed and the terror that they have imposed on the people in northern Nigeria and Nigeria's neighbors. You mentioned that General Rodriguez is going to be leaving, that's sad news. But as you know, we're all replaceable. And I'm sure that there's someone in the waiting to replace General Rod as he replaced General Ham and General Ham replaced General Ward. So there'll be another general there and we'll continue to work to address the threats that are occurring in Africa and continue to build our capacity to fight Boko Haram with the assistance and help of African partners. One more media question. Is there another media person? Yeah, get the microphone to the lady right there. Thank you very much. My name is Adeyemi Fatoba of the Nigerian Television Authority. There's no doubt in the fact that Nigeria, US bilateral relations can only get better and bearing in mind the fact that we have a new president who is not only enjoying goodwill worldwide, but he has that personal integrity that everybody cherishes. Can you please throw more light on whether or not there are specific things, new things that the US is coming up with talking about economic growth and development in Nigeria? Thank you. Good, that's a great question. As I mentioned, when President Bahari came last year, it really gave a tremendous boost to our bilateral relationship with Nigeria, which had already always been a close relationship, but we saw some immense opportunities with the arrival of President Bahari. Part of the reason we're having the Binational Commission discussion on Wednesday is to look at what new areas that might open up for us to increase our relationship, but increase our support for Nigeria to succeed. We are leaning in very proactively to address some of the challenges that Nigeria faces, and we want to make sure that Nigeria succeeds. We're looking at additional areas where we can support Nigeria on the security front. We're looking at additional efforts that we can make with Nigeria and the multilateral community on the humanitarian front, and we're also looking at how we can support Nigeria moving forward on development. I think I've mentioned before in speeches that the decrease in oil prices also opens up opportunities for Nigeria to diversify its economy, which means there are more opportunities for investment in Nigeria's economy outside of the oil sector, and we're working with the private sector to see where they may inject themselves into the investment opportunities that Nigeria offers. Okay, I'd like to open it up now. We have a gentleman right here in the middle. I'm gonna take perhaps two or three questions if that's okay, so we get more questions on the table. Thank you. I'm a Professor Alex Agbordietti. You know, I was in Nigeria for some years lecturing on security and the legal aspect, but you already mentioned that the security is tied to the economy, and I really want to focus on one particular issue. If you notice in the last month, the currency had gone up from $200 to $405, and I think now it's back to $310, and there's talk about encouraging the president to devalue the currency. Is that gonna be a subject or a discussion this week, and what do you consider to be the potential impact on the economy with the devaluation of the currency? Thank you. Well, certainly the parallel market is alive and well, and most people are operating on the parallel market, but it's affecting the ability of companies to bring in new equipment, new resources, and to attract new investments into Nigeria. So while most people complain about the possibility of there being a devaluation, people are already operating on a devalued currency, and the only people who are not are people who are doing it officially. So our recommendation, and we'll have discussions on this, and I know that when the IMF was in Nigeria, they had discussions with the Nigerian government on this that they should look at the exchange rate and try to make the exchange rate more realistic to what the value of the Nairi is to the dollar. We have a question right here. Good afternoon. My name is Laia Beguni, University of Maryland. In July, when President Buahari met with Obama, Obama talked about helping Nigeria to recover eluded billions of dollars in American banks. What are the efforts the U.S. government making up to this point to recover this money so that it can be put into the Nigeria economy? Can I add to that the question that we got on Twitter? Similarly, what steps do you think Nigeria is taking as well as what the U.S. is taking in fighting corruption? Certainly, the government has made clear that its highest priority is to address issues related to corruption, and we're seeing that happen on a daily basis as we read the Nigerian press. Recovering money that's in foreign banks is easier said than done. It is something that we're working very, very closely with the Nigerians on, but it's not something that can happen overnight. There are a lot of technical aspects to this process, including identifying the sources of money, identifying who has the bank accounts, and identifying where the money is and what bank accounts the money might be. So that is something that we're working with the government on, but it's not something that I think we'll see the results of in a very quick fashion. I have two questions that come in via Twitter on human rights, so let me ask those and then I'll come back to the audience. One is generally on human rights and what's happening in terms of both at the federal and state level, and you know that there was a lot of controversy about human rights violations in the fight against Boko Haram and how that might have affected our ability to help, but also we have a question that the gender equity bill did not pass in the Nigerian parliament and what do you see as these next steps as you spoke in your speech about the importance of gender equality and women's participation? Look, we make clear in almost all of our speeches that human rights are a core value. It's something that is part of our foreign policy and it informs our foreign policy. We had that discussion with President Bihari when he was here and he committed to bringing Nigeria into the world of countries and nations that respect human rights and that he would follow these issues very, very closely. It's still a work in progress. We know that Nigeria still has some issues in this sphere and we're working with the government closely on that concern. On gender equity and I hope that the legislation is eventually passed. We certainly can't control that but we can express our views on that and I hope that the President Bihari himself worked to push this legislation through. As I said in my speech, women's empowerment is community empowerment. We know that women put their hard earned resources back into their communities, into educating their children and they try to reinvest that money into their countries. So we are pushing the Nigerians in that direction and it remains to be seen whether they will move in that direction but we continue to keep it as a priority for us. In that respect, if I can just ask another question. In dealing with the problems of Boko Ram, the broader problems of the North in terms of development, there's been a kind of a de-industrialization of the North. Someone else has asked about competition from China and India and Nigeria's ability to respond and the kinds of investment that need to be made. You mentioned education and health. All these great demands that are fundamental to see it coming at a time when the resources available to the country are cut in half virtually from the oil declines. How do you see in our discussion with the Nigerians and US approaches, how much can be tackled? How are the priorities gonna be set at a time of real economic austerity? You know, when Nigeria didn't have economic austerity, they were not putting resources into their infrastructure and into their education system. So I think that resources are available if managed appropriately and properly to start to the engine of growth in Nigeria and particularly in the North in terms of building the infrastructure and providing goods and services for the people of Nigeria. And it's not just the North, but it's the entire country that has to get the focus of the government in terms of those provisions. Yes, the price of oil has gone down, but when the price is high, we know that billions of dollars were siphoned off and not provided to support Nigeria's growth and services to the people of Nigeria. I think with a strong government that is focused on these areas, despite the drop in oil prices, we should see Nigeria begin to make some significant changes in the way they address the needs of their people. Okay, thanks. We've got more questions, I think. Back there, first, I'm sorry, it's hard for me to see where I think a woman right there in the, that's right, that lady, right there. Thank you, sorry. It got the light in my eyes. I can't see it that way, yes. My name is Esrao Cheney. I am a graduate of American University and my question is, a lot of research and academic findings agree that tribalism is at the root of a lot of problems, including the three major problems that you talked about. So I'm just wondering if the United States assess the ongoing efforts in Nigeria to combat tribalism, or if it pushes for any new efforts or policies? Tribalism and ethnic identity is a problem across the continent of Africa, and we know in a number of countries it's led to wars, and it certainly has had an impact on the ability of countries to develop and to make progress moving forward. This is something that African countries themselves need to look at. They need to see the extent to which they can cross those ethnic barriers and push for a nationalism that will allow countries to develop. And this is not a statement against ethnic identity, but it is a statement that expresses concerns about the extent to which tribalism and ethnic identity have thwarted the growth of African countries. I don't know that there's anything the United States as a partner with Africa can do about this other than to encourage conversations, to do conflict resolution, and to look at ways to bring communities closer together. We have a gentleman right here. Hello, ma'am, my name is Tom Smith. I want to thank you very much for today as a former special operations officer who works side by side with a rocky and Afghani military counterparts. Your words really resonated deeply with me focusing, linking Nigeria's fight against corruption as a crucial part of any strategy for successful Nigerian recovery, whether that's economic as well as their fight against Boko Haram. However, I'm wondering what concrete actions is the U.S. government considering if, I want to highlight, if President Bihari's heroic anti-corruption efforts either loses steam or transgresses into political score settling as possibly seen as China, et cetera, et cetera. Thank you. You know, we can only hope that he will continue and encourage him to continue in the mode that he has started, addressing the issues of corruption, but also addressing issues of capacity building, particularly in the military. We are working with the Nigerian military. We're training two companies of the military. We're prepared to do more. We have advisors who are working in the North as well as in Abuja to support those efforts. And we're supporting his anti-corruption efforts as well. He has made clear that his efforts are not just against the previous government, that he won't tolerate corruption even in his own government. I hope that that message is being heard loudly and clearly across Nigeria and that the vast majority of Nigerians will also support his efforts. He took a long time in establishing his cabinet because he vetted all of the people who came into his cabinet. And I think they have gotten the message clearly from him. So we'll work with them and we'll work with him to try to move the agenda forward to address his anti-corruption agenda, but also work with the EFCC to build their capacity as well. Can I ask you a question about the Delta area? Because we focus understandably on the North and Northeast because of the Boko Ram, but the Delta has a long history of both environmental damage, of unrest, et cetera. We have amnesty in place, but there's still a lot of problems. And this is an area that did not vote for President Bahar. Do you see a problem? Is the government going to dedicate also the necessary attention resources to the Delta? Will the state governments and the local governments raise a rise to the task? How do you see the Delta situation? I don't know if you notice that several times when I answered questions or in the speech, I talked about all of Nigeria because it's not just the North. If we focus all of our attention on the North then we stand a chance of ignoring a slow burning fire that we know has already been lit in the Delta. And so President Bahar's challenge is to pay attention to the entire country. He has to support the people who voted for him as well as the people who voted against him. He's the president of Nigeria. He's not just the president of Northern Nigeria. And I think he understands that and I think we have seen some efforts that he has made in that area as he moves forward. I think another area that we have to focus on is making sure that governors are accountable for what is happening within the borders of their states and that they too work to provide services to their people, address the needs of their people and also be held accountable for corruption that might take place in their states and that would go for both the North as well as those countries in the Delta. We've had a very proactive program working in the Delta through USAID, OTI, and we think that they have had a positive impact in this region. But clearly, again, more work needs to be done. We're not ignoring that area any more than we would ignore any state in Nigeria. Okay, a couple more questions and then we'll have to fill out the gentleman right there in the middle. I don't want to get him. And then we'll take one over there and then that will probably be as many as we can do. Thank you. Mike Phelan, Senate Foreign Relations Secretary. Hello, Assistant Secretary. My question goes to the likelihood of cooperation between the US and Nigeria and increasing the relationship and development. In the past, it's been a very difficult time because the Nigerian government has often said thanks but no thanks. They've also had significant resources available. The revelations we see from time to time of massive corruption, the disappearance of resources that are available make it easy for some on the hill to consider other targets of our foreign assistance. So I ask you what your estimation is of the willingness of the Nigerian government to reach out and partner because it has been the largest countries in the world that have really bent the curve in dropping poverty, India and China, obviously. And much of their work has been done internally. It has been a decision internally but it has also aligned with a strong relationship with the outside. Yeah, I think with the new government there is clearly a great opportunity to partner. President Bahari has made clear that he wants our support. He wants our help. But he's also made clear that he's willing to put Nigerian resources against the task. And that's an important commitment that he's made. So we have seen some improvements in the security situation in northern Nigeria since he became president because he has given resources to that effort and he's committed to ending Boko Haram's terror in the north. So for that reason, we want to help them. They have asked for assistance. During the previous administration, we had started some training with two companies of the military and ended because the Nigerian government asked that we end it. The new government has asked that we resume that training and it has already started. So we are prepared to lean in providing assistance to the government and it appears to us that the government is leaning forward in accepting that assistance, not just from us but from other partners such as the UK as well as the French who are supporting many of the Francophone countries surrounding Nigeria through the multinational task force. So there's an opportunity here for Nigeria to address the insecurity that it has been facing for a number of years in an effective, proactive way with the help of partners but also their own initiative. So I think we're in a good place now. I think, I apologize, we'll have to draw too close but I want to thank, first of all, the Assistant Secretary, I thought you just have given us a tremendous amount of valuable information and we couldn't wish you more success as you go into the BNC this week. So first of all, please a big round of applause. Thank you. Second, I want to thank all those from the Nigerian government that are here, other diplomats, representatives of the State Department in USAID and all of you for coming here to the US Institute of Peace. I'm sure they will have opportunities in the future because Nigeria is an area in which the United States Institute of Peace is going to focus attention on. So thank you all very, very much and again, thank you. Thank you. Thank you.