The optics of a U.S.-Africa summit that excludes Nigeria — Africa’s largest economy, most populous nation, and regional power — might, at first glance, suggest a diplomatic slight. But that interpretation is both superficial and misleading. The recent two-day summit hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump, featuring the leaders of Senegal, Liberia, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, and Gabon, is not about continental leadership or diplomatic stature. It is about opportunity — for Trump.
What Washington is seeking is not a broad-based engagement with Africa’s key players, but a niche entry into coastal corridors that are less politically complicated, less economically assertive, and more open to extractive partnerships. Nigeria, by contrast, is neither a pushover nor a pawn. Its absence from this summit is a signal not of neglect, but of strength.
The Real Agenda: Minerals, Maritime, and Migration
The summit’s attendees are not random selections. All five are Atlantic-facing nations with underexploited mineral wealth and relatively modest regional clout. Gabon, for instance, is rich in manganese and uranium — two commodities vital to global energy and technology sectors. Guinea-Bissau has become a cocaine transshipment hub, with recent U.S. collaboration on anti-drug operations. Senegal faces a debt crisis and ballooning emigration numbers, particularly to the U.S.–Mexico border. These nations were chosen not for their geopolitical influence but for their vulnerabilities — and exploitable assets.
Washington is not reorienting towards Africa as a gesture of solidarity or strategic alliance-building. Rather, it is pivoting away from multilateral engagement in favor of transactional diplomacy. Trump’s summit is built on promises of private investment, security cooperation, and migration management — not long-term partnerships or mutual development.
Nigeria: Too Big to Manipulate
Nigeria is not on the invitation list because it does not need to be. It is already a strategic partner of the United States across multiple dimensions — from counterterrorism and energy cooperation to tech investment and democratic diplomacy. Its stature is such that its engagements with the U.S. require structured bilateral frameworks, not hastily convened photo-ops.
Furthermore, Nigeria’s assertiveness on sovereignty, trade equity, and multilateral negotiations often puts it at odds with Trump’s zero-sum view of diplomacy. The U.S. administration may find it easier to court smaller states where influence can be bought cheaply and without resistance — unlike Nigeria, which has consistently championed African agency in global forums.
A Response to China and Russia, Not a Rejection of Nigeria
Let us be clear: this summit is also a reactionary move in the new scramble for Africa. With China’s Belt and Road Initiative entrenching Beijing’s economic presence, and Russia’s military footprints expanding in fragile states, Trump is scrambling to assert relevance. The five countries selected are not yet saturated by Eastern influence — a critical factor in their selection.
In contrast, Nigeria, like South Africa, Egypt, and Kenya, has already diversified its international partnerships and is no longer dependent on Western patronage. The U.S. knows this. Trump knows this. That is why he is fishing where the waters are calmer, the leaders are more pliable, and the resistance to American corporate interests is lower.
Conclusion: Nigeria Was Not Snubbed — It Simply Doesn’t Fit This Strategy
The narrative that Nigeria was “snubbed” is based on a flawed understanding of U.S. foreign policy under Donald Trump. This was not a summit of equals or a council of continental leaders. It was a calculated outreach to secure U.S. footholds in economically stressed, politically malleable, and resource-rich coastal nations.
Nigeria’s exclusion is not a loss — it is liberation from a transactional gathering where African agency is subordinated to American self-interest. In a global landscape where true partnership is increasingly rare, Nigeria should be glad not to have been summoned as a pawn in Washington’s latest game of geopolitics.
Let others chase crumbs. Nigeria must continue to assert itself at the table where policies are made — not merely where photos are taken.
Published by the Editorial Board of The Lagosian Magazine
July 9, 2025
