Again, a major setback in the relations between the US and Nigeria came in December 2009, when a young Nigerian, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, was arrested during a failed attempt to bomb Northwest Airlines Flight 253, flying into Detroit from Amsterdam. Although the US was aware of Nigeria’s vulnerability to religious radicalization, no one expected the country national to be involved in any activity of this magnitude. The immediate reaction of the US was to place Nigeria on its ‘Terror Watch List.’ The Nigerian government expressed outrage at this response, which some commentators referred to as pigeon-holing a country on the basis of insufficient information. The US, however, insisted that its actions were objective and without prejudice to Nigeria. Removal from the watch list became a foreign policy priority for Nigeria. After several diplomatic appeals from Nigerian government, the US agreed to remove Nigeria from the list in March 2010, on the following conditions that Nigeria should publically condemn acts of terrorism wherever they occur in the world; take urgent steps to address security lapses at its airports; be party to an agreement to deploy Air Marshalls on all US-bound flights originating from Nigeria and Nigeria’s anti-terrorism bill, pending before the Nigerian National Assembly should be passed into law. After the country was able to convince the US, Nigeria was removed from terror watch list, but the United States announced to implement a new airline security measures to replace mandatory screening of air travelers from 14 countries, a step that had angered some allies. Under the new measures, all travelers to the US will be affected and not just travelers from Nigeria and 13 other countries that were short listed by the US last January as either “sponsors of state terrorism” or “countries of interest”. Reacting to the new measures announced by the US, Nigerian Ambassador, and Professor Adebowale Adefuye, said: "It is very heart-warming coming so soon after my visit to President Obama on behalf of Acting President Goodluck Jonathan. It shows how sensitive the US is to Nigeria's plight and interest. Taking alongside the forthcoming signing of the bi-national commission agreement, the decision will improve and strengthen the quality of relations between the US and Nigeria. We are very grateful to the Obama government (Ameh and Ibrahim, 2010 ).
108 SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE
Discuss how the issue of terrorism had impacted on Nigeria's foreign relation with the United States?
4.0 CONCLUSION
In this unit, we have been able to explain how African issues, the annulled election; human rights abuses affected on Nigeria's foreign relation with United States; we has also assessed the trade and investment aspects of Nigeria-United States relations; how Nigeria achieve her foreign policy pursuit on debt relief and financial assistance through bilateral relation with the US relations as well as how the issue of terrorism had impacted on Nigeria's foreign relation with the United States respectively.
5.0 SUMMARY
Nigeria-United States relationship has in the past experiences confrontational and harmonious times. Most issues that soured relationship are political. But economic interest has harmonized the two countries given credence to the realist theorists who pursuit that in international politics there are neither permanent friends nor permanent enemies, but permanent interest. It most also be noted that the era of democratic government in Nigeria has favoured harmonious relationship between Nigeria and United States, than the era of military government in the country.
6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT
i. Explain how African issues affected Nigeria-United States relations?
ii. Discuss how the annulment of the June 12 presidential election affected the relationship between Nigeria and United States?
iii. Examine how human rights abuses affected on Nigeria's foreign relation with the United States?
iv. Assess the trade and investment aspects of Nigeria-United States relations?
v. Explain briefly how Nigeria achieves her foreign policy pursuit on debt relief and financial assistance through bilateral relation with the US Relations?
vi. Discuss how the issue of terrorism had impacted on Nigeria's foreign relation with the United States?
7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READING
Abegunrin, O. (2003). Nigerian Foreign Policy Under Military Rule, 1966-1999). United States:
Greenwood publish group Inc.
Alao, A. (2011). "Nigeria and the Global Powers: Continuity and Change in Policy and Perceptions." SAIIA: African Perspectives Global Insights. Occasional paper, No. 96.
Retrieved from www.google.com October 10.
Aluko, O. (1981). Essays in Nigerian Foreign Policy. London: George Allen and Unwin.
109 Ameh, J. and K. Ibrahim, (2010 ). "US gives conditions for dropping Nigeria from terror list."
The Punch, Lagos, February 12.
Dauda, S. (2006). Nigeria's Foreign Policy. Ibadan: Daily Graphics Nigeria.
Fawole, A. W. (2003). Nigeria's External Relations and Foreign Policy Under Military Rule 1966-1999. Ile-Ife: Obafemi Awolowo University Press.
Ofoegbu in Oyediran, O. (1979). Foreign Policy and Military Rule. in O. Oyediran (ed) Nigerian Government and Politics Under Military Rule. London and Basingstoke: The Macmillian Process.
Roberts, R. (1991). Nigeria, Africa and the United States: From Kennedy to Reagan.
Bloomington and Indianpolis: Indianna University press.
110 UNIT 3: NIGERIA RELATIONS WITH RUSSIA
CONTENTS 1.0 Introduction 2.0 Objectives 3.0 Main Content