U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday said he wanted to deepen ties with Nigeria, adding that previous statements he had allegedly made about “shithole” African nations were not discussed.

Nigerian President Mohammedu Buhari, the first leader from sub-Saharan Africa to visit Trump, told reporters that the best thing “for me is to keep quiet” when asked about the supposed remark.

“I’m very careful with what the press says about others than myself,” he said. “I’m not sure about, you know, the validity, or whether that allegation against the president was true or not.”

Trump, however, told Buhari: “You do have some countries that are in very bad shape and very tough places to live in. But we didn’t discuss it because the president knows me and he knows where I’m coming from.”

Nigeria was among the African nations that summoned the U.S. ambassador to explain Trump’s comments that he wanted less immigration from “shithole” countries in Africa and more from places like Norway.

Trump also said he and Buhari had discussed taking down trade barriers.

“We will be investing substantially in Nigeria if they can create that level playing field that we have to, very much, ask for and maybe demand,” he said.

Both leaders praised their joint cooperation in fighting terrorism in Nigeria and efforts at finding schoolgirls who had been abducted.

Earlier this year, Trump angered some African leaders for saying at a White House meeting that he did not want immigration from “shithole countries,” including African countries, according to two senators who attended it. Trump had said that he used other language.

Source:dailysabah.com