Fact Check: Did Every Nigerian President Meet US President In Their First Year Except Bola Tinubu?

A viral claim circulating on X alleges that every Nigerian president met the US president in their first year, except Tinubu.

This statement is false, as verifiable evidence from both Nigerian and United States government sources confirms that President Bola Tinubu met with US President Joe Biden within his first year in office.

The Claim
On 2 November 2025, an X account with the username, @ADCVanguard, shared a post saying that every Nigerian president had met a US president within their first year in office, except Bola Tinubu.

The post, which has over 90,000 views and 1,000 likes, showed four photographs of Nigerian leaders meeting US presidents alongside an image showing former president Olusegun Obasanjo shaking hands with former US President George W. Bush.

The caption of the post read: “Every Nigerian president met the U.S. President in their first year, except Tinubu. The world knows what we refuse to admit. What does that tell you?”

The implication of the post to many people is that Tinubu is the odd one among Nigeria’s democratic-era presidents since his assumption in 2023.

Fact Check
Official documents, press releases, and credible media reports show that the claim is false.

President Tinubu met with US President Joe Biden on 10 September 2023 just over three months after his inauguration during the G20 Summit in New Delhi, India.

According to a readout published on the official website of the U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Nigeria, the meeting reaffirmed the strong bilateral relations between both countries.

Tinubu expressed Nigeria’s desire for deeper cooperation on economic development, democracy, regional stability, and multilateral reforms.

A corresponding statement released by Nigeria’s State House, titled “President Bola Tinubu’s Engagement with US President Joe Biden at the G20 Summit, September 10, 2023”, confirmed that the two leaders held a brief but significant discussion.

It noted that Tinubu used the opportunity to strengthen Nigeria–US relations and that both sides agreed to continue discussions at future engagements, including a planned bilateral meeting at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) later that month.

Additionally, a photo shared by the State House of Nigeria and reposted under the caption “Throwback Thursday: President Bola Tinubu in conversation with US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the G20 Summit, New Delhi, India” further supports this encounter.

Beyond that, on 30 October 2024, the U.S. Mission in Nigeria issued another official statement confirming that President Biden (then former US president) held a phone call with President Tinubu.

The White House readout indicated that both leaders discussed cooperation on humanitarian issues, law enforcement, cryptocurrencies, and international institutional reforms to include stronger African representation.

These official records clearly contradict the claim that Tinubu has not met a US president during his tenure.

The Historical Record of Previous Nigerian Presidents Since 1999

The Guardian reviewed documented evidence of meetings between Nigerian and US presidents during the first year of each administration since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999:

Olusegun Obasanjo (1999–2007) met with US President Bill Clinton at the White House on October 28, 1999, five months after taking office. Their discussions centred on Nigeria’s democratic transition and debt relief.

Umaru Musa Yar’Adua (2007–2010) met with President George W. Bush at the White House on December 13, 2007, to discuss counter-terrorism, trade, and governance.

Goodluck Jonathan (2010–2015) met President Barack Obama in Washington on 12 April 2010, less than a year after assuming office following Yar’Adua’s death. They later met again in June 2011.

Muhammadu Buhari (2015–2023) met with President Obama at the White House on July 20, 2015, within two months of his inauguration, to discuss the fight against Boko Haram and economic recovery.

This confirms that each Nigerian president since 1999 met a sitting US president within their first year in office — including Bola Tinubu.

Verdict
The claim that every Nigerian president met the US president in their first year except Tinubu is false.

President Bola Tinubu met with US President Joe Biden on 10 September 2023 during the G20 Summit in India, well within his first year in office.

Both the U.S. embassy and Nigeria’s State House confirmed this engagement through official statements and photos.

Historical evidence shows that all Nigerian presidents since 1999 Obasanjo, Yar’Adua, Jonathan, Buhari, and Tinubu, have met US presidents within their first 12 months in office.

The viral post is misleading and taken out of context. Its suggestion that Tinubu has been diplomatically isolated lacks any factual basis, given ongoing US–Nigeria collaborations, including the 2024 US–Nigeria Binational Commission meeting and Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Abuja.

The claim is inaccurate. President Tinubu did, in fact, met US president Joe Biden within his first year in office.

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