Saraki to attend Trump's new Africa strategy summit today as Washington seeks to regain ground lost to China and Russia

SENATE president Senator Bukola Saraki will meet US President Donald Trump today when he represents Nigeria's at Washington's Strategy for Africa summit organised to generate more foreign direct investment (FDI) into the continent.

President Trump's Africa strategy involves seeking to get US entrepreneurs to enter into partnerships with local investors and governments and invest in key sectors with high profit margins. According to the US assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of African Affairs, Tibor Nagy, the summit will focus on bringing more FDI into Africa and is in line with the legislative agenda of the eighth National Assembly, which is aimed at reforming the Nigerian economy through strategic legislation that will help promote increased participation of private sector actors.

Yusuph Olaniyonu, Senator Saraki's spokesman, said the new US strategy call for more effective utilisation of existing resources on the African continent. Other members of the senate president’s delegation include Senator Ben Bruce, Senator Monsurat Sunmonu and Honourable Nnenna Ukeje, the chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs.

It is believed that President Trump's latest initiative was introduced to counter China's growing influence on the African continent, as well as Russia's attempts to gain footholds in resource-rich, unstable countries. Washington is looking to bolster ties with countries deemed potentially vulnerable to overtures from China and Russia, as well as seeking to fend off attempts by North Korea and Iran to make inroads through economic investments or arms sales.

One US official said: " Counterterrorism is no longer the organizing principle. It's about geopolitics and countering the influence of China and others."

Since assuming office, President Trump's repeated Trump's gaffes on Africa, his imposition of travel bans and his numerous derogatory remarks have created friction his administration and governments across the continent. Former US diplomats and regional experts say the new strategy is long overdue to make up for the lost ground.