A former Texas mayor, Mike Arnold, has renewed criticism of Nigeria’s handling of terrorism, corruption, and mineral resource governance following his return to the United States from a fact-finding mission on alleged persecution of Christians in the country.
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In a strongly worded post on his verified Facebook page, Arnold accused Nigerian authorities of maintaining what he described as a contradictory posture—seeking to suppress American voices drawing attention to terrorism and insecurity in Nigeria, while at the same time depending heavily on U.S. assistance and funding.
Reacting to criticism that the United States—under President Donald Trump—is interested in Nigeria solely for its mineral wealth, Arnold dismissed the argument as “ignorant and revealing.”
“The hypocrisy of the ‘Trump just wants the MINERALS’ argument is perhaps the most ignorant and revealing,” he wrote, questioning Nigeria’s long-standing relationships with global powers. “What do you think the British have been doing from Day 1? The Chinese? How’s that working for you?”
Arnold argued that Nigeria’s vast mineral resources should make the country prosperous, stressing that mismanagement and corruption—not foreign interest—remain the core obstacles to development. According to him, the Nigerian government possesses both the authority and the tools to address corruption decisively.
“The Nigerian government has power to stop the corruption through blockchain tech (already proven) and simple law enforcement,” he stated. He further urged Abuja to ensure mineral agreements are structured to benefit local communities where resources are extracted, rather than “soulless criminals in foreign lands and their enablers in Abuja.”
The former mayor also emphasized the need for Nigeria to move beyond the export of raw materials. He called for investment in domestic industries capable of processing minerals into finished goods, describing this shift as the true path to sustainable economic growth.
“Ultimately, Nigeria needs to develop industry to process its minerals—stop selling raw materials, but finished goods. That’s the win,” Arnold said.
He concluded by advising Nigerian leaders to be strategic in choosing international partners, noting that only a limited number of countries currently serve as viable customers for Nigeria’s minerals. “Choose wisely,” he warned, asking how existing partners have treated the country so far.
Arnold maintained that blaming Trump or the United States for being mineral customers, while defending the existing status quo, reflects what he termed “the height of ignorance and hypocrisy.”
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