United States wishes Nigerians Merry Christmas, appoints new Ambassador

Amid diplomatic tackles where it accused Nigeria of religious intolerance, the United States of America has wished Nigeria and all its citizens a happy Christmas celebration, a message which it  sent through its mission house in Abuja.

The message posted on twitter on Wednesday, December 25, the US embassy in Nigeria reads: “From the U.S. Mission to Nigeria, Merry Christmas to everyone celebrating.”

As earlier reported, the United States has appointed Mary Beth Leonard as the its new ambassador to Nigeria.

The new envoy had presented her letter of credence and other relevant documents to President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, December 24.

The ambassador was the representative of the US to Africa Union from 2016 to 2019. She fluently speaks four other languages apart from English, namely: Dutch, Afrikaans, French and Spanish.

From 2009 to 2011, she was the director for West African Affairs at the US Department of State. Before then she the deputy chief of mission in Bamako, Mali from 2006 to 2019.

After serving at the department of state, she became the ambassador to the Republic of Mali from 2011 to 2014.

It should be noted that she became a member of the state department in 1988 where she had served as economic and consular officer in Cameroon, Namibia and Togo.

Leonard, an indigene of Massachusetts, graduated from Boston University where she majored in economics and minored in French.

In 1988, she got her masters in international relations with specialization in African studies from the John Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. In 2004, she received a Master of Security and Strategic studies from the US Naval War College.