President Muhammadu Buhari asked the U.S. to support Africa’s efforts in tackling growing insecurity in the region.

Washington should consider relocating the headquarters of the U.S. Africa Command to the continent from Stuttgart, Germany, to better support the fight against rising insecurity, Buhari said in the first virtual meeting with Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The U.S. set up Africom to help countries in the region tackle transnational threats.

President Buhari said: “The security challenges in Nigeria remain of great concern to us and impacted more negatively, by existing complex negative pressures in the Sahel, Central, and West Africa, as well as the Lake Chad Region.

“Compounded as the situation remains, Nigeria and her security forces remain resolutely committed to containing them and addressing their root causes. The support of important and strategic partners like the United States cannot be overstated as the consequences of insecurity will affect all nations hence the imperative for concerted cooperation and collaboration of all nations to overcome these challenges.

“In this connection, and considering the growing security challenges in West and Central Africa, Gulf of Guinea, Lake Chad region and the Sahel, weighing heavily on Africa, it underscores the need for the United States to consider re-locating AFRICOM headquarters from Stuttgart, Germany to Africa and near the Theatre of Operation,’’ he said.