It's not as if we don't have a precedent. When President Obasanjo was Head of State in Nigeria in the late 1970's, we had forged a deeper, more diversified relationship than we have now. Oil company representatives, bankers, and manufacturers were always flying in and out of Lagos. We'd like to see that happening again. And we've been helped by Nigeria's transition to democracy.
Democratic countries are more likely to attract U.S. companies.
Decision making there is more likely to be responsible and accountable. The investment climate there is more likely to be predictable. It's more likely to be subject to the rule of law. The U.S. Embassy reports that Nigeria is losing about 200,000 barrels of oil per day to vandalism and closures. Notably, Nigeria is still ranked as one of the most corrupt countries on earth.