Olusegun Obasanjo
Former Nigerian President

Obasanjo seeks joint action to tackle Africa’s woes

Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has stressed the need for collaborative effort among African countries to develop the continent. 

Obasanjo made the appeal at the weekend at a private dinner he organised in honour of visiting President of the Central African Republic (CAR), Mr Francois Bozizi at his Otta farm residence,  Ogun State in South west Nigeria.

Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun was one of the guests at the occasion.

The former President said that pooling of ideas and resources of African countries would enable them to tackle the myriad of socio-economic challenges confronting the continent so as to compete favourably with developed countries.

The challenge

Obasanjo challenged African leaders to cultivate the practice of learning from one another “to avoid the mistakes of the past.”

Earlier in his speech, Bozizi described Nigeria as the most successful and populous country in Africa, stressing that no other African country could succeed without strengthening her relationship with Nigeria.

Bozizi had paid an official visit to the Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital during the week where he told Jonathan that he was in the country to explore avenues for cordial relationship between his country and Nigeria.

The visiting President told newsmen during an interview that “Nigeria is a big country and normally, every African country is supposed to have a good relationship with Nigeria adding that his country some years ago had good relationship with Nigeria.”

He said the purpose of his visit to the country was to renew the good relations between Nigeria and CAR in diplomatic, economic and other spheres.

The request

Bozizi said “I told President Goodluck Jonathan that, I want Nigerian investors in my country because my country today is a virgin country, it is a naturally rich country. God blessed us there. We have diamond, we have gold, we have everything but the country is at this time a virgin.”

He urged President Jonathan to let Nigerian investors come to his country:  
“I prefer Africa to come to my country, work in my country, take the opportunity in my country, invest in my country and gain”, he said. 

NP/Adekusibe/Ekata