US-Nigeria mining deal: Firm makes fresh claim over cancellation

A US lobbying and advisory company representing former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has alleged that political considerations surrounding President Bola Tinubu’s reported attempt to meet US President Donald Trump played a role in the cancellation of a proposed mining agreement between Nigeria and the United States.

The firm, Von Batten-Montague-York, made the claim in a statement on Thursday.

According to the firm, the proposed US-Nigeria mining Memorandum of Understanding was expected to be signed during the United Nations General Assembly.

It alleged that the agreement was among proposals Tinubu had offered in an attempt to secure a meeting with Trump.

The firm said the proposed agreement was designed to strengthen cooperation between the two countries, particularly by giving the United States access to critical metals and minerals while supporting the development of Nigeria’s mining sector.

“The signing of the US-Nigeria mining MOU is the first step of cooperation between the United States and Nigeria that serves America’s interests in having access to critical metals and minerals while improving the Nigerian mining industry,” the firm said.

It claimed that the Nigerian government had announced the agreement the previous week and planned to sign it at the UN in the presence of Tinubu.

However, the firm said it contacted the Trump administration after learning about the proposed signing.

According to the statement, this led to the article announcing the deal being taken down and the planned signing at the UN being cancelled.

The firm also claimed that Tinubu remained in France instead of attending the planned event, while Trump went ahead to sign other agreements at the United Nations.

“The United States got the mines; President Tinubu got no meeting,” the firm stated.

The claims were made by the US-based firm and have not been independently verified.

Source: Dailypost