National Day Remarks By Ambassador James P. Entwistle (July 4, 2014)

Distinguished Guests,

Good evening everyone. I’m pleased to welcome you to the celebration of the 238^th anniversary of our independence here on our evolving embassy compound. I’d like to begin by thanking our generous sponsors for their support of our event this evening. It takes a lot of work to pull off an event of this size and scale, and without your financial support, none of this would have been possible. I encourage everyone to take a look at our thank-you banner. And although an event like this takes the work of many, let me single out and thank my staff aide Ryan Feeback and our world-class protocol assistant Taiwo Isijola for their work in pulling this evening’s event together.

If you’re wondering why I was tapping my feet when you came through the receiving line, it’s because of the marvelous music being performed by the Henhouse Prowlers, a bluegrass group from Chicago. In my humble opinion, bluegrass music is one of our finest American inventions. If our Nigerian guests listen carefully, you may hear some familiar tunes. I hope you enjoy them.

Welcome. As you look around, you see a work in progress. In a matter of months, we will be fully operational with our new Office Annex, Marine House, and other facilities. We are proud of this concrete and mortar commitment that the U.S. government has made in its Mission to Nigeria.

But while the project itself is impressive, it’s only one example of our commitment to continue our vibrant presence here. We have maintained a robust engagement in Nigeria for many years, and our partnership with your great nation runs deep. This was yet again made clear to me just last week when I had the privilege of giving a speech at the University of Nigeria at Nsukka in Enugu state, an institution that got started many years ago with help from the U.S. Agency for International Development and from Michigan State University. Over the years, we’ve worked with the government of Nigeria on a host of issues—on elections, security, the Niger Delta, and spurring broad-based, inclusive economic growth, just to name a few. And in all of these areas, we are constantly impressed by the dedicated and brave Nigerians we meet who are determined to make their country great. To cite but one example, on June 20, when Secretary of State John Kerry rolled out our 2014 Trafficking in Persons Report in Washington, he honored Mrs. Beatrice Jedy-Agba, the executive secretary of your National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, along with nine other heroes of the struggle to rid the world of the scourge of human trafficking. I believe she may be here this evening, and we wish to salute her again.

I also want to spend some time talking about the role of partnership in improving democracy because our great democratic experiment in the United States would not have been possible without the influence and support of our international partners.

When America’s Founding Fathers authored our Declaration of Independence, they were inspired by British and French philosophers such as Hobbes, Locke, and Montesquieu. The building blocks of our great democracy were derived from the thoughts of individuals from other nations.

And as our fledgling democracy grew, we relied on security assistance from a number of international partners. As time went on, our democratic ideals began to inspire the rest of the world. Through diplomacy and cultural exchanges, an idea took root that changed human history. This idea—that we are all created equal and have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, combined with the belief that governments derive their authority from the consent of the governed—became a source of inspiration to the world.

I bring this up because I’m extremely proud of the United States of America and what it represents, and it’s always been an honor to represent my country overseas. But I also bring this up to point out that we didn’t get to where we are by ourselves. It took international partnership, diplomacy, an effective military, and government representatives who responsibly exercised their power to develop and improve our democracy. Some of that came from within the character of the American people, and some of it came as inspiration or direct support from our partners.

As we stand with Nigeria on its democratic journey, I want to make it clear that the assistance that we have offered over the years is in the same spirit as that offered to us by other nations as we began our democratic journey. You have many friends and partners who want Nigeria to succeed, and the United States stands at the front of that line. I’d like to spend a little time highlighting some of the great work we’re partnering on together.

Given the recent spate of kidnappings, bombings, and other despicable acts of terrorism by Boko Haram, our security partnership is at the forefront of our work with Nigeria these days. Let me be clear—we want Nigeria to win its war on terrorism. And we are here to support you in that effort. It may seem that we suddenly sprang to Nigeria’s aid in the wake of the Chibok kidnappings, but the truth is we’ve been providing support for a long time. You’re our partners, and we’re going to continue this journey together.

We provide support in the form of equipment and training, but we also share our own lessons learned in combatting terrorism. Over the last decade, the United States has learned that defeating terrorism requires more than just military power. It requires protecting civilian populations despite terrorists’ disregard for human life in their campaign to wage war on the state. It requires working to develop impoverished areas where extremism takes root. It requires ensuring that education is accessible to all. It requires empowering a free and fair press to report openly and without fear of reprisal. And, perhaps most importantly, it requires engaging the growing youth populations that are being swayed towards extremism due to lack of economic opportunities, education, and trust in government. In other words, it requires a comprehensive, whole-of-government approach. And the work we’re doing with the Nigerian government and people addresses all of these needs.

On the subject of youth, I want to point out an incredible program that was created by President Obama—the Young African Leaders Initiative, or YALI. YALI’s concept is that we must challenge and prepare the next generation of African leaders to improve their readiness to take charge in both the public and private sectors. And we’ve dedicated significant resources to doing so. Nearly 50 young Nigerians are undergoing training at universities throughout the United States right now. Thousands more of the Nigerians who applied to the program are benefitting from networking opportunities that we are setting up to ensure that they remain in contact, sharing ideas, supporting one another, and innovating. We made this investment because we believe that positive change in Africa will come from a generation that rejects corruption, supports peaceful reforms, and advocates for the rights and dignity of all citizens, regardless of gender, religion, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.

In addition to developing the next generation of leaders, we also are deeply committed to helping Nigeria develop and grow. Our development presence here is robust, and I want to touch on a few highlights. Nigeria is the largest recipient of the President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief in the world, receiving $458 million dollars in support from the American people each year. This money not only funds both treatment and prevention of the spread of HIV and AIDS but also works to build Nigerian capacity to address this crisis.

Our U.S. Agency for International Development has a strong presence in, and incredible commitment to, Nigeria. From agriculture to infrastructure, our development experts are hard at work, partnering with your government to produce sustainable, Nigerian-led solutions to the development challenges you face. One particular highlight is President Obama’s Power Africa program, which already is attracting private sector investment that will result in power capacity and generation for Nigeria’s electricity grid. A great example of this is the Azura Energy Project. With USAID-backing and support, $130 million dollars in venture capital was raised. Construction is slated to start this month and will add 450 megawatts of power to Nigeria’s electricity grid when it is complete. This project underlines that development is no longer just a government-to-government activity and that the role of the private sector is key. That’s why I’m delighted that some of the most well known U.S. companies are active here in Nigeria.

We’re also deeply committed to helping you ensure that your elections, particularly the national ones in 2015, are free, fair, peaceful, and credible. We work closely with your Independent National Electoral Commission to ensure that the process is transparent, well monitored, and secure. Safeguarding and strengthening democracy is difficult work. But the recent Ekiti elections were an excellent example of what happens when all players—the government, citizens, security forces, and political parties—commit to ensuring respect for the electoral process and for one another.

As you’ve probably seen, I and the rest of the U.S. Mission team in Nigeria have been speaking out about the importance of non-violent elections, and we will continue to do so. Once again, I urge all parties and candidates to publicly commit themselves now to not condoning, urging, or fomenting violence before, during, or after the elections next year.

I want to close by emphasizing how optimistic I am about Nigeria. Since I arrived last November, I’ve been privileged to travel throughout the South, the Middle Belt, and the North, and I’m constantly impressed by the resiliency and ingenuity of the Nigerian people. I’ve met farmers, herders, activists, politicians, pastors, imams, students—and I’m struck by how much more unites them than separates them. They all want to participate in a strong, active democracy. They all want better roads, better schools, and more access to basic services like clean water and electricity. They want more economic opportunity for themselves and their families. They want to live in peace and security. And they want to live together, in a united Nigeria.

And it’s for these reasons that the United States supports you and partners with you. Frankly, we see a lot of ourselves in you. We’re a nation made up of many peoples who have had to figure out how to live together in peace and harmony. We struggled through civil war, we struggled to develop economically and reduce poverty, and we struggled to ensure equal rights for our citizens. But I assure you that, just as other countries helped us along the way, the United States stands with Nigeria as a friend and partner. So we thank you for that friendship and partnership, and we look forward to a bright future together.

In conclusion, please raise your glasses and join me in a toast:

To the rich and vibrant partnership that unites our two great democracies.

Thank you very much, and enjoy the rest of the evening.