200811252303 | Nigerian leader receives President Museveni

Nigerian leader receives President Museveni

President Yoweri Museveni now on a 4-day official working visit to Nigeria has today been received by President Umaru Musa Yar’ Adua of Nigeria at State House Abuja, according to a report at the Uganda media Center. The President and his host held Tete a Tete talks this morning after which they joined their respective delegations for bilateral talks. The Ugandan delegation at the talks included Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa,Finace Minister Dr.Ezra Suruma,Energy and Mineral Development Minister Daudi Migerweko,Tourism,Trade and Industry Minister Janat Mukwaya,that of State for Works Mr. John Byabagambi,MPs Brian Asiimwe and Rose Ongom as well as the Uganda’s High Commissioner to Nigeria Mr. David Etuket among others. The Nigerian delegation included the country’s Vice President Dr.Goodluck Jonathan among others. Later the two Presidents addressed a joint press conference at which President Museveni thanked the host for inviting him and his delegation to visit Nigeria. He said that during the talks Uganda and Nigeria agreed that one of Nigeria’s airlines should start a flight between Entebbe and Abuja. He said that the agreement to this effect had been signed sometime back but had not been operationalised.

He further said that Nigeria has agreed to share with Uganda its own experience in the exploration of the petroleum resource that Uganda has recently discovered. He said that one of the tasks Nigeria will help Uganda to achieve is to start a petroleum institute to enable Uganda take advantage of the Nigerian experience in the exploration of the petroleum resource. He said that the building of the Institute would ensure that the people of Uganda have the capacity for extracting the petroleum themselves.

President Museveni said that he had also discussed with his Nigerian counterpart a number of other African issues. He said that the 2 countries also agreed that a joint commission should meet to see which products could enhance trade between Uganda and Nigeria.

Responding to a question on what wrong Africa could be committing on issues of development, President Museveni gave the example of the export of raw materials to the developed world with no value addition as one of the problems affecting development of the continent. He also gave the example of Japan which has no natural resources but is the 2nd strongest economy in the world because Japan prioritized the education of the Japanese people.

On behalf of the people of Nigeria President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua welcomed President Museveni to Nigeria and commended the bilateral relations between Uganda and Nigeria that have existed since the time of Independence of the 2 countries. He said that his meeting with President Museveni was meant to renew those bilateral relations.

He told the media that he had discussed with his Ugandan counterpart issues affecting the continent of Africa especially the Democratic Republic of Cong (DRC), Southern Sudan, the global economic crisis and the need for Africa to meet as a block to confront the challenges brought about by the global economic crisis.

On the issue of Nigeria’s contribution of troops to peace keeping in Somalia, President Yar’Adua said Nigeria had initially trained one battalion for the task but added that in August this year when Nigerian officers had visited Somalia, they recommended that the contingent had to be re-trained and equipped appropriately for the job. He reported that the country had now got the appropriate weaponry for the task and added that as soon as the contingent is ready, it will be dispatched.

Later President Museveni performed the ceremony of laying a wreath at the National Centaph on the tomb of an unknown soldier in the city of Abuja.
President Museveni is scheduled to travel to KURU in the Plateau tomorrow where he is expected to deliver a lecture at the Nigerian Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NPSS).