Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari and the U.S. President, Donald Trump, on Monday, discussed a possible new arms deal that will help the West African nation combat terrorism.

According to a statement from the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, President Trump “assured the Nigerian president of U.S. readiness to cut a new deal in helping Nigeria in terms of military weapons to combat terrorism.”

The United States had halted arms sales and stopped training Nigerian troops under the Goodluck Jonathan regime due to human rights concerns such as treatment of captured insurgents.

The Nigerian Government has since then been trying to convince the U.S. to sell it military aircraft.

However, U.S. officials in May 2016 said that Washington wanted to sell up to 12 A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircraft to Nigeria but the congress needs to approve it first.

Anita Fatunji