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President Muhammadu Buhari has signed the Agreement for the interim phase of the concession of Nigeria’s narrow gauge rail network with General Electric in Washington DC, United States.
On the sidelines of President Buhari’s official visit to the U.S., Minister for Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi also signed on behalf of Nigeria.
President Buhari is currently in the U.S., the first African leader to be received by President Donald Trump for talks later.
They are expected to discuss shared economic and security interests.
But many will also be watching the talks closely after a row over Mr Trump’s alleged use of the word “shithole” to describe African nations.
Mr Trump denied being a racist after the reported crude remark. He also denied making the comment.
The two leaders may be keen to put the scandal behind them to focus on more pressing issues, writes the BBC‘s Nigeria correspondent Mayeni Jones.
At home, President Buhari faces multiple security challenges, including the nine-year-old insurgency by Boko Haram jihadists in the north-east, and mounting insecurity in the middle belt.
So fighting terrorism is a priority for both administrations, BBC adds.
Buhari recently concluded a deal for sales of 12 counter insurgency aircraft worth $496m to Nigeria to help in its fight against Boko Haram.
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In Washington, Mr Trump and Mr Buhari will also discuss ways to deepen economic cooperation between both their countries.
Mr Buhari, who is seeking re-election in 2019, is also expected to stress that he is committed to democracy despite rampant corruption and poor governance in the West African country.
After the talks, the Nigeria leader is due to meet businesses specialising in agriculture.
Senior Nigerian government officials will also discuss a number of projects with executives from major US transport companies.
Ahead of the meeting, the U.S. government recently released a damning report on Nigeria accusing the Buhari government of massive corruption and intense government-sponsored human right violations.
See news of the agreement attached below:
