President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan told five new Ambassadors today that Nigeria wants increased trade and economic activities with their countries.
President Jonathan received the Ambassadors, Mrs. L. Ann Scott of Jamaica, Mr. Hoand Ngoc Ho of Vietnam, Mr. Jean-Marie Mowelle of Congo, Mr. Zsolt Maris of Hungary and Mr. Rolf Kristian Ree of Norway, at different audiences in State House.
‘Nigerian citizens have been trading with the citizens of Congo, but this has been mostly informal. We should make this formal, so that our relationship will become even stronger’,he told Mr. Jean-Marie Mowelle of Congo.
President Jonathan told Mr. Hoand Ngoc Ho of Vietnam that Nigeria had set a target of 2015 for self-sufficiency in rice production, and urged him to work hard to increase the current $700m trade between the two countries.
The President said Nigeria had opened up its economy to private sector participation, and invited Norwegian businessmen to take advantage of the opportunities, adding that both countries are already cooperating at global for a such as the United Nations.
President Jonathan welcomed the interest shown by Hungary in Nigeria’s gas, and said he wanted Jamaica to become observers in the Africa-South America Summit, in order to further strengthen economic relations.
The new Ambassadors expressed appreciation to President Jonathan for receiving them, and promised to do their best to improve relations between the two countries during their tenures.
