Nigeria Can Become a Major U.S. Trade Partner, But Needs Political Will – Natasha

By Abu Ismail 

In a compelling insight shared via her verified Facebook page, Senator Natasha H. Akpoti Uduaghan of Kogi Central has outlined a transformative vision for Nigeria–U.S. economic relations, urging the Nigerian government to strategically position the country for zero-tariff trade access with the United States.

The Senator, who recently engaged in high-level discussions with top American officials including Mark Meadows, former Chief of Staff to President Donald Trump, revealed that America is seeking international partners to power its industries amidst growing domestic challenges.

“America has over 100 million ‘functional unemployed’ people and Trump’s administration is desirous of getting them to work… well, somehow,” Natasha stated. “To do so, their industries from tech to agriculture must hit production, but there’s an impediment—Nixon’s 1970s EPA policies.”

According to her, this challenge presents a rare opportunity for Nigeria to step in as a vital supplier of both raw materials and manpower.

“Nigeria has abundant reserves of various minerals needed for the world’s 4th Industrial Revolution,” she emphasized, listing monazite, columbite-tantalite (coltan), bastnasite, and xenotime—rare earth minerals found in Kogi, Adamawa, Gombe, Taraba, Borno, Niger, Katsina, Bauchi, Cross River, Kaduna, Kebbi, and Plateau States.

She pointedly suggested that many of the violent communal crises in mineral-rich regions like Plateau State may be rooted more in battles for resource control than religion. “I always nursed a sinister thought towards the several ill-fated community killings in the guise of religion. It’s always been resource control!”

Beyond minerals, Senator Natasha proposed that Nigeria capitalize on its favorable climate for agriculture. “Our fertile lands suffer no hurricanes, no winter frostbites, no wildfires, no earthquakes,” she wrote. She cited Neutrogena, a U.S. cosmetics giant, as a potential partner for Nigeria’s shea butter cooperatives—akin to existing deals between France’s L'Occitane and Burkina Faso, or Body Shop and Ghana.

On the digital front, the Senator argued that Nigeria’s vast youth population could dominate the global call center industry. “An average Nigerian speaks in a clearer accent than an average Indian,” she noted, suggesting that Nigeria could rival or even overtake India in IT outsourcing.

To realize this ambitious vision, Senator Natasha outlined five key action points:

1. Renew AGOA: Nigeria must advocate for the renewal and expansion of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) beyond 2025.
2. Strengthen TIFA: Deepen trade dialogues with the U.S. under the existing 2000 U.S. Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA).
3. Legislate Extractives: Enact strong regulatory frameworks for the extractive industry through policies like her Gold Reserve Bill, currently underway.
4. Strategic Diplomacy: Appoint smart, business-savvy ambassadors capable of creating efficient networking platforms between Nigerian and American businesses.
5. Political Stability and Trust: “No one will bet their hard-earned money or risk losing investments in politically unstable and dishonest environments,” she warned.

She ended her remarks on a motivational note:

“The world is Nigeria’s oyster. Let’s invest in human capital and honestly strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem—then watch the world dance to us.”

With the right political will, sound trade policies, and the strategic use of Nigeria’s abundant natural and human resources, Senator Natasha believes the country can not only gain zero-tariff access to American markets but also emerge as a global trade powerhouse.