Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has called on the US to move its Africom military headquarters to the continent from Germany.

He made the request during US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s online “virtual visit” to Africa, a substitute for an in-person visit that didn’t happened because of coronavirus restrictions.

“Considering the growing security challenges in West and Central Africa, Gulf of Guinea, Lake Chad region and the Sahel, weighing heavily on Africa, it underscores the need for the United States to consider re-locating Africom headquarters… near the theatre of operation,” President Buhari said, according a statement issued by the presidency.

President @MBuharithis afternoon held a virtual Meeting with Anthony Blinken@SecBlinken, United States Secretary of State. Foreign Minister@GeoffreyOnyeamawas in attendance.@StateDept@NigeriaMFA#AsoVillaToday 🇳🇬🇺🇸pic.twitter.com/ljWyfG9MME

— Presidency Nigeria (@NGRPresident) April 27, 2021

Meanwhile speaking to young Africans studying in the US, Mr Blinken cautioned against China’s growing presence on the African continent, saying: “We’re not asking anyone to choose between the United States or China, but I would encourage you to ask those tough questions, to dig beneath the surface, to demand transparency and to make informed choices about what is best for you and your countries.”