Nigeria Prepares To
Head D-8
Nigeria
is to produce the next chairman for the group of eight
developing countries, the D-8, in July.
D-8 is an organisation of eight developing countries of the
world aimed at enhancing economic cooperation to improve
financial positions of member countries.
Its members are: Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia,
Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey.
The current chairman of the group, Dr. Dipo Alam of Indonesia,
who spoke when a delegation of the group paid a courtesy visit
to Nigeria’s Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Alhassan
Zaku, in Abuja, the group’s headship by members is on a two-year
rotational basis.
Areas, benefits of cooperation
He said the agreed areas of cooperation were Trade, Agriculture,
Energy, Industry, ICT, Science and Technology,
Banking and finance, Rural development, Poverty alleviation,
Environment and Health.
Alam said Nigeria would partner with D-8 in the areas of energy,
science and technology.
He said inter-trade among D-8 members generated 75
billion dollars in 2000 and increased to 78 billion
dollars in 2008.
He said an Indonesian company based in Nigeria had invested
400 million dollars in the economy and provided jobs for
more than 3000 youths.
Next summit
’’The next summit is scheduled to be hosted by Nigeria,
preferably in the first week of July, 2010,’’ Dr. Alam said
said.
’’In accordance with its mandate, the summit has been held in
Istanbul in 1997, Dhaka in 1999, Cairo in 2001, Tehran
in 2004, Bali in 2006 and in Kuala Lumpur in 2008.’’ He
explained.
The Science and technology minister told the team that Nigeria
is blessed with abundant natural resources and urged the group
to invest in the development of the resources.
NAN/Yinka
