Joe Biden

President Bola Tinubu and US President Joe Biden met on the sidelines of the G20 summit on Sunday in New Delhi, India. According to President Biden, the purpose of the discussion was to reaffirm the US’ commitment to the partnership with Nigeria.

The long-standing friendship between the two nations and peoples, according to Biden, is something his administration is dedicated to.

On the official White House website, a statement with this information was posted.

The Tinubu administration’s efforts to implement economic changes in Nigeria were praised by Biden.

The statement reads, “President Biden welcomed the Tinubu Administration’s steps to reform Nigeria’s economy and thanked President Tinubu for his strong leadership as the chair of the Economic Community of West African States to defend and preserve democracy and the rule of law in Niger and the broader region.”

On Nigeria’s invitation to the G20 summit, the statement reads, “Nigeria’s invitation to the G20 Summit is a recognition of Nigeria’s important global role as Africa’s largest democracy and economy.”

Tinubu attended the two-day summit on the special invitation of Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.

Tinubu was accompanied by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar; Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani; Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite.

Tinubu held bilateral meetings with the leaders of Germany, South Korea and India.

Tinubu conveyed to the German helmsman, Olaf Scholz, the importance of not just focusing on creating a financial framework for a broader economic alliance.

In a bid to boost economic growth, Tinubu said the government is introducing new incentives to attract large-scale manufacturers like Volkswagen to establish a presence in the country.

Responding to the economic focus of Tinubu’s proposal, the German Chancellor acknowledged the mutually beneficial nature of an escalation in the scale of economic ties with Nigeria.

He said, “Thank you for this important discussion, Mr. President. I appreciate this opportunity to advance our economic relations. Your market is unique, and our companies have a history in Nigeria.

“We acknowledge the business-friendly reforms you have put in place.

“I am happy to inform you of my desire to visit you in Nigeria in October, which will allow us to carry forward these initiatives,” the German leader confided.

Meanwhile, the President will meet with the leadership of the United Arab Emirates during a technical stopover in Abu Dhabi, the Emirati capital, after his departure from New Delhi, India.

President Joe Biden invited thousands to celebrate at the White House on Tuesday as he signed into law gay marriage legislation before a bipartisan crowd that reflects the growing acceptance of same-sex unions.

The triumphant mood played out against the backdrop of a right-wing backlash over gender issues, which has alarmed gay and transgender people and their advocates.

The new law is intended to safeguard gay marriages if the U.S. Supreme Court ever reverses Obergefell v. Hodges, its 2015 decision legalizing same-sex unions nationwide.

The new law also protects interracial marriages. In 1967, the Supreme Court in Loving v. Virginia struck down laws in 16 states barring interracial marriage.

“Congress has restored a measure of security to millions of marriages and families,” Biden said in a statement when the legislation passed last week.

“They have also provided hope and dignity to millions of young people across this country who can grow up knowing that their government will recognize and respect the families they build.”

The signing will mark the culmination of a monthslong bipartisan effort sparked by the Supreme Court’s decision in June to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling that made abortion available across the country.

In a concurring opinion in the case that overturned Roe, Justice Clarence Thomas suggested revisiting other decisions, including the legalization of gay marriage, generating fear that more civil rights could be imperiled by the court’s conservative majority.

Lawmakers crafted a compromise that was intended to assuage conservative concerns about religious liberty, such as ensuring churches could still refuse to perform gay marriages.

In addition, states will not be required to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. But they will be required to recognize marriages conducted elsewhere in the country.

A majority of Republicans in Congress still voted against the legislation. However, enough supported it to sidestep a filibuster in the Senate and ensure its passage.

“Together, we showed that it’s possible for Democrats and Republicans to come together to safeguard our most fundamental rights,” Biden said.

Tuesday’s ceremony will mark another chapter in Biden’s legacy on gay rights.

He memorably — and unexpectedly — endorsed same-sex unions in a television interview in 2012, when he was vice president.

Days later, President Barack Obama announced that he also supported gay marriage.

Attendees will be given a card commemorating Biden’s comments from his 2012 interview.

“What this is all about is a simple proposition: Who do you love?” Biden said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” a decade ago.

“Who do you love and will you be loyal to the person you love? And that is what people are finding out is what all marriages at their root are about.”

Since becoming president, Biden has reversed President Donald Trump’s efforts to strip transgender people of anti-discrimination protections.

His administration includes the first openly gay Cabinet member, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and the first transgender person to receive Senate confirmation, Assistant Secretary for Health Rachel Levine.