Secretary of State Hillary Clinton presses Nigeria on corruption, sectarian violence

Clinton presses Nigeria on corruption, violence

ABUJA, Nigeria — U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is in the Nigerian capital pressing the government of Africa’s most populous nation to curb widespread corruption and enact democratic reforms.

Clinton is meeting Wednesday with Nigerian officials to urge the major oil-producing nation, known as one of the most corrupt countries in Africa, to do more to tackle graft. She’ll also meet religious leaders to discuss recent violence, sparked by the killing of the head of an Islamist sect, that left more than 700 people dead in the mainly Muslim north.

Nigeria is the fifth country Clinton has visited so far on a seven-nation tour of Africa aimed at promoting development and good governance. She will travel next to Liberia and Cape Verde.