THIS WEEK, Washington rolled out the red carpet for President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria. Mr. Buhari’s invitation to the White House came shortly after his historic victory in the polls over embattled former president Goodluck Jonathan in March. Not only were the polls largely peaceful despite fears of terrorism and electoral violence, but also Mr. Buhari’s election represents the first time since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999 that a member of an opposition party has unseated an incumbent candidate.

While a presidential visit to Nigeria after such a momentous election would have sent a more powerful signal of support for democracy in Africa, the United States is right to show an early and strong interest in Mr. Buhari’s efforts to help Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, unlock its full potential.
It is no secret that relations between Washington and Abuja soured under Mr. Jonathan. He came under criticism for his shortcomings in combating government corruption and for his administration’s failures in fighting the Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram. Already strained military relations between the United States and Nigeria fell to a new low late last year when the Nigerian armed forces abruptly canceled joint training in reaction to U.S. reluctance to provide military helicopters.
Mr. Buhari’s populist image, military background and reputation for being tough on corruption helped him gain the support of voters and has engendered cautious optimism in Washington. So far, Mr. Buhari, a retired major general, has been saying the right things. He already has taken steps that could help push the fight against Boko Haram in the right direction. He announced the movement of the headquarters of the armed services to the northeastern part of Nigeria, which faces the most direct threat from Boko Haram. He fired and replaced several high-ranking military officials left over from the Jonathan administration.
Undoubtedly, Mr. Buhari has inherited an array of daunting challenges. The global drop in oil prices caused a drastic decline in the country’s revenues. The government must find a way to battle Nigeria’s entrenched corruption. Boko Haram, while weakened by the joint military efforts of Chad, Cameroon, Niger and Nigeria in recent months, has managed to kill more than 600 Nigerians in guerrilla-style attacks since Mr. Buhari assumed office on May 29. Mr. Buhari must also find a way to improve efforts to help care for and re-integrate nearly 1.5 million Nigerians who have been internally displaced by Boko Haram.
The United States has promised to provide $5 million toward the efforts of the multinational joint force combating Boko Haram, on top of $34 million already being provided to regional efforts. However, bilateral security aid to Nigeria should still be contingent on demonstrable progress in ending human rights abuses and corruption in the armed forces.
With a population of more than 170 million and the continent’s largest economy, Nigeria is a key country in the future of Africa. Mr. Buhari’s presidency offers hope for a positive new chapter in U.S.-Nigeria relations.