19/08/2026
During his time in office, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo made nine trips to the United States. Out of those, five were working visits, two were private meetings with President George W. Bush, one was for the G-8 Economic Summit in Georgia, and another was to pay respects at the funeral of former President Ronald Reagan.
Even though his presidency was relatively brief, President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua managed to make two working visits to the U.S., including a notable meeting with President George W. Bush at the White House.
President Goodluck Jonathan took four significant diplomatic trips to the U.S. during his tenure. These included a working visit, participation in the Nuclear Security Summit as Acting President, a meeting with President Barack Obama, and attendance at the landmark U.S.–Africa Leaders Summit.
Similarly, President Muhammadu Buhari also made four major visits to the United States for various bilateral discussions and multilateral summits.
In contrast, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu stands out as the only Nigerian president since 1999 who has not yet made a trip to the United States for a presidential meeting, working visit, diplomatic engagement, nuclear summit, or any other significant bilateral event.
Notably, during the latest high-profile sessions of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, it was Vice President Kashim Shettima who represented President Tinubu.
This is particularly noteworthy given that President Tinubu is not one to shy away from international travel. In fact, his administration has been marked by frequent trips abroad.
So, what makes the United States different in this regard?
Is there a specific reason behind President Tinubu's absence from Washington, especially considering the strategic importance of Nigeria–U.S. relations?
And is there something holding him back from following in the footsteps of his predecessors by visiting the United States and meeting with President Donald Trump?