By Kingston Magare 8-7-2025
President Bola Tinubu’s failure to provide leadership that will put Nigeria back into the league of dveloping nations is the reason the country was snubbed by US President Donald Trump in his trade talks with several African countries.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) made the charge Tuesday in a statement signed by Bolaji Abdullahi who is spokesperson for the new coalition determined to unseat President Tinubu in 2027.
The US President will be meeting with the Presidents of Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal for high-level commercial talks at the White House on Wednesday, and acccording to the ADC Nigeria not being invited is a big slap to the face of a country with the largest population and largest economy in Africa.
This was made known in a statement to Naija News on Tuesday by the Interim National Publicity Secretary of ADC and Opposition Coalition Spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi.
“For years, African thought leaders have argued that it was about time that the Western World started to engage with African countries as trade partners rather than as hapless recipients of aid. Finally, an American President has emerged who is cutting aid and promoting trade. But Nigeria is not invited to the table,” said the ADC statement.
“According to the Americans, the three-day meeting, which starts on Wednesday, is convened to explore commercial opportunities that could benefit both American companies and African partners. They said they have invited countries who have demonstrated “the ability, and willingness, to help itself.”
“What this means in plain language is that under President Tinubu, Nigeria is no longer taken seriously. Although we are Africa’s largest economy, with the largest consumer market and Africa’s most influential diaspora, the United States chose to bypass us in favour of nations whose combined GDP is only a fraction of ours. With this snob, what the Americans are telling us is that size means nothing without leadership and a demonstrable commitment to efficiency, to transparency and to accountability.
“Only a few years ago, it would have been unthinkable that such meeting would hold without Nigeria. This only shows how low this administration has brought our country in the estimation of the world. To add insult onto injury, Nigeria is now being threatened by President Trump with a 10% tariff because of our association with BRICS, which started in January 2025. The ADC is not opposed to BRICS, but we are opposed to Nigeria punching below its weight by playing in the small league.”
The statement added: “The truth is that APC has not only stalled our economic progress, it has stripped us of the opportunity to sit at the table where real decisions, and real investments that could create jobs boost growth and improve our economy, are being made.
“This is what happens when the government at the centre prioritises politics over performance, and propaganda over progress. As a nation that has led before, and can lead again, we must reject the future the APC seeks to impose on us—one where we are ignored, sidelined, and treated as insignificant. Nigerians must demand better, because Nigeria is too big, too important, and too proud to be left out.”