US officials have confirmed that President Donald Trump, is ready to approve the sale of high-tech aircraft to Nigeria, to help with the fight against Boko Haram insurgents.
According to AP News, Congress is expected to be formally notified within weeks, to set in a motion a deal with Nigeria, that the Obama administration did not sign off on.
Nigeria is to purchase up to 12 Embraer A-29 Super Tucano aircraft with sophisticated targeting gear for nearly $600 million.
Officials were not authorised to discuss the terms of the sale publicly and requested anonymity to speak.
Nigeria has been trying to buy the aircraft since 2015.
In Trump’s first phone call with Buhari in February this year, he “assured the Nigerian president of US readiness to cut a new deal in helping Nigeria in terms of military weapons to combat terrorism.”
“President Trump expressed support for the sale of aircraft from the United States to support Nigeria’s fight against Boko Haram,” a White House statement said on February 15, providing a summary of the call between the two leaders.