Obama meets Jonathan, highlights Nigeria's leadership roles in Africa White house, Washington, DC

US President Barack Obama has pledged United States commitment to work with

Nigeria in the area of electoral reforms, security, and fight against corruption.

President Obama stated this while meeting with Nigeria Acting President Goodluck

Jonathan in the white house ahead of the Nuclear Security Summit holding in

Washington, DC.
He stressed the need for Nigeria democracy to succeed because of the country's

critical roles in Africa. President Obama also expressed appreciation for the strength

Nigeria has shown in holding on to its democracy in the midst of recent leadership

crisis capable of truncating its democratic process.

In his response, the Acting President Goodluck Jonathan congratulated President

Obama on his success in pushing for the passage of the health reform bill, a

commendation that President Obama was happy about.
Jonathan thanked the United States for standing by Nigeria during the recent crisis in

country. He promised to ensure a free and fear elections in 2011 stressing that

electoral reform is critical to building a solid democracy.

On Abdul Umar-Mutallab, the underwear bomber, Acting President insisted that the

action of the 23 year old Nigerian does not reflect the thinking of Nigerians. He

promised that Nigeria will continue to support America in the global fight against

terrorism.
Jonathan also thanked Obama for supporting the amnesty program of the federal

government saying Nigeria is committed to ensure the success of the program.

Other leaders that president Obama met with ahead of the Summit are: Prime Minister

Manmohan Singh of India; President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan; President

Jacob Zuma of South Africa; Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani of Pakistan.

The summit is to enhance international cooperation in preventing nuclear terrorism, a

danger that Obama described as "the single biggest threat to U.S. Security, both

short-term, medium-term and long-term…this is something that could change the

security landscape of this country and around the world for years to come."

The Acting president Goodluck Jonathan will today (Monday) hold discussions

session on ''Good governance in Nigeria'' at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)

in Washington DC at 7:45 am US Eastern time.