US Republican Candidate Donald Trump says he will not participate in another presidential debate against his contender Kamala Harris again following this week’s showdown. With divisions over key foreign policy issues, from the war in Ukraine to Gaza and immigration laws, how will the outcome of the U.S. election impact Nigeria and Africa as a whole? Adebola Williams, Former President of the Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce joins CNBC Africa for more.
The U.S. Republican Candidate Donald Trump says he will not participate in another presidential debate against his contender Kamala Harris again following this week′s showdown. With divisions over key foreign policy issues, from the war in Ukraine to Gaza and immigration laws, how will the outcome of the U.S. election impact Nigeria and Africa as a whole? Adebola Williams, Former President of the Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce joins CNBC Africa for more on this. Thank you so much. It's a pleasure, ma'am, to have you on the show. Thanks for having me. Well, it's that time again where we're waiting to see another president for the United States of America. But for, as far as African-Nigeria, U.S.-Nigeria relations are concerned, we have had, we know what it was like to have one of the candidates as former president, Donald Trump. But when you think back to when Nigeria had relations with the U.S., when he was president, how would you sum up foreign policy or diplomatic ties with the U.S. then, perhaps in one word if that's possible? I think it was good. We've always had good relationship with the U.S. And in particular, the organization that I belong to, the Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce, have had very good relationship with the U.S. Now, when he was former president, Donald Trump, when he was president, his foreign policy was predicated on the rule of America first. Did you see that come through in our dealings with the U.S. then? Or everything still remained the same? Not much, really. I know his focus was America first. But on our day-to-day dealings with the U.S., we managed and got along quite well, I'll say. Okay, so initiatives like AGOA, USAID, all of that ran smoothly, nothing changed significantly? Africa, AGOA, and even a lot of support for the African Continental Free Trade Agreement, and a lot of bilateral relationships. This seems to have proceeded. Except for immigration, because I remember he did stop immigration from a number of countries, including Nigeria. But let's talk about his opponent, current Vice President Kamala Harris. If she does emerge as the winner, can we expect, I mean, listening to her policies, can we expect something different, or perhaps maybe similar, or a continuation of current President Joe Biden's policies? My expectation would be at least something similar, and perhaps even better. Because I think that in terms of empathy, one is more empathetic than the other. And therefore, I expect that in dealings with the human relations aspect of their function, we don't expect any radical change. But if anything, for things to continue to improve and be better. Right. Now, regardless of who wins, when you think about Nigeria's relations with the U.S. in general, what areas would you love to see some kind of a change? I mean, what areas do you think we can do better? I know that now, the West interacting with the Global South and African countries, they want to take that, there's that narrative of, okay, we want to deal with you as partners, and they'll come to the table, let's have dialogue as partners, and not just aid, and all of that. What would you like to see done differently? I think one area I would want a massive improvement would be in the area of our youth population. In Nigeria, we have a lot of youth population, and our youth, they are very, very smart, they are very, very clever. So, one would want to see more engagement with them through different agreements, different arrangements. And then, also, right now, Nigeria is conversing for a lot of funding to ensure that the country is put on the proper platform. And so, therefore, one would want to see a lot more American businessmen engaging with our local businessmen to form partnerships. In the Nigerian American Chamber of Commerce, that is one area where we encourage our members, and we set up a lot of bilateral meetings and trade missions, both inward and outward. I think this year alone, we have, at least in March, we had businessmen coming in from Illinois, about 12 or so, and they were able to meet with about 300 or so number of Nigerian businessmen. So, one would hope that this sort of engagement continues, because that's what's going to strengthen us, and it would ensure that our businessmen, you know, can do what they're expected to do. And, I mean, also in terms of, I mean, still on the issue of trade, is there still a perception issue in terms of the business environment, where the typical American businessperson who wants to come, is the perception changing in terms of, you know, how they're going to come? Is the perception changing in terms of, you know, how open we are, how receptive we are to a foreign direct investment? Right. I think we have to look at the whole arrangement from a partnership, equal partnership point of view. There is some perception that the partnership may not be seen on an equal platform, whereby... Whereby it's mutually beneficial, one party still thinks... Yes, absolutely, absolutely. So, we need to encourage that, we need to have more of that, you know, more American businessmen coming in to Nigeria to partner with our members, with Nigerians, and then vice versa. You know, more Nigerians travelling abroad without any duress, without any hassle, you know, ease of getting their visas and everything, knowing full well that they're only going there for business, and they will return. Right. But there's also the issue for the investors, would-be investors coming here, there's also the ease of doing business issue. Absolutely. How much of that is changing? Absolutely. Yeah, yeah. I think that's one area where Nigeria still has some mileage to go. We need to ensure that businessmen, foreign businessmen who come in can do business as they would in any other country. There's a perception that doing business in Nigeria, you know, is clogged with a lot of hurdles. I mean, it is a tough business environment, but... Yes, it is. And if we really desire to have these businessmen bringing their funds, come and invest in the country, we've got to make things smoother for them. The ease of doing business is a critical one. Right. Well, we'll continue to keep our eye on this, but thank you so much for talking to us. Always, it's a pleasure to have you on the show with us today. Adibola Williams, former president of the Nigerian American Chamber of Commerce.
Theme: Impact of U.S. election outcome on Nigeria's foreign relations and business prospects
As the U.S. Republican Candidate Donald Trump announces his decision not to participate in another presidential debate against Kamala Harris, the question arises - how will the outcome of the U.S. election impact Nigeria and Africa as a whole? Adebola Williams, Former President of the Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce, sheds light on the diplomatic ties and potential changes in business opportunities between the two nations. During the interview with CNBC Africa, Williams reflects on the foreign policy and diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Nigeria during the tenure of former President Donald Trump. While Trump's focus was on 'America first,' Williams describes the relationship as good, with initiatives like AGOA and USAID running smoothly. However, he notes that immigration policies did pose challenges, particularly the travel ban imposed on Nigeria. Looking ahead to the possibility of Kamala Harris becoming the President, Williams anticipates a continuation of Joe Biden's policies with a touch of more empathy. He expects a similar or even enhanced engagement with Africa, emphasizing the importance of human relations in diplomatic dealings. Regarding potential areas for improvement in U.S.-Nigeria relations, Williams highlights the youth population in Nigeria as a key focus. He stresses the need for increased engagement and partnerships with American businesses to leverage the intelligence and capabilities of the Nigerian youth. Williams also underscores the importance of facilitating trade missions and bilateral meetings to enhance collaboration between local and international businessmen. Williams acknowledges that there may be a perception issue in the business environment, where American investors may feel hesitant due to concerns about an equal partnership. He suggests promoting a more balanced and mutually beneficial approach to attract foreign direct investment. Additionally, he emphasizes the importance of improving the ease of doing business in Nigeria to encourage more investors to participate in the market. In conclusion, Williams emphasizes the criticality of creating a conducive environment for foreign businessmen and investors to engage with Nigeria. By fostering stronger partnerships, enhancing trade opportunities, and improving the ease of doing business, both countries can benefit from a mutually advantageous relationship. As the U.S. election unfolds, Nigeria stands poised to navigate potential changes and embrace new prospects for growth and collaboration in the international arena.
"We need to ensure that businessmen, foreign businessmen who come in can do business as they would in any other country. There's a perception that doing business in Nigeria is clogged with a lot of hurdles...if we really desire to have these businessmen bringing their funds, come and invest in the country, we've got to make things smoother for them."
U.S. election, Nigeria, Africa, diplomatic relations, business opportunities, trade, foreign policy, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris, Adebola Williams, CNBC Africa