President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday charged African leaders to take more concrete steps toward fulfilling their often declared commitment to improving trade and economic relations in the continent.
The president gave the charge in Abuja, while receiving the outgoing Namibian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mrs Selma Ashipala-Musavyi,
The president said that there was an urgent need for African leaders to move beyond declarations of support for greater intra-African trade.
He said that African leaders must act in unison to overcome obstacles which currently hindered economic relations between the nations and people of the continent.
Jonathan said that with the right political will and commitment, African leaders could speedily overcome all obstacles to intra-African trade.
He noted that if the problem of poor transportation link was addressed, there would be a significant boost in continental economic interaction for the benefit of countries and people.
The president pledged that Nigeria would continue to spearhead and support efforts aimed at promoting regional and continental economic integration.
He added that existing cordial political relations between most African countries would be further enhanced by greater trade and economic relations amongst them.
The president commended Ashipala-Musavyi for working diligently to boost bilateral relations between Nigeria and Namibia during her tenure as a high commissioner.
He wished her success at her new post in the Namibian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The president similarly commended Ghana’s outgoing High Commissioner to Nigeria, Alhaji Baba Kamara, who he also received at the Presidential Villa.
Jonathan noted that bilateral relations between Nigeria and Ghana had been further strengthened in several areas during Kamara’s four-year tenure.
He expressed the hope that the outgoing high commissioner’s successor would continue his good work.
“We must continue to build and strengthen the cordial relations between us.
“We are the same people and colonial boundaries must not be allowed to keep us apart,’’ the president said.
According to a report by the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), of the over 200 projects registered last year, Nigeria had 42 projects with a value of almost 200 million dollars.
The GIPC report listed China as being the only country ahead of Nigeria with 56 projects, during the period.
