Nigeria's President says Africa Must strengthen democratic institution

President Goodluck Jonathan on
Wednesday said African countries must
strengthen their democratic institutions in
order to ensure political stability and
sustained development.
According to a statement by his Special
Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben
Abati, the President made the call at a
breakfast meeting he had with African
Ambassadors to China in Beijing as part of
activities of his ongoing state visit to the
country.

He was quoted as saying that democracy
must be nurtured until it has a firm root on
the continent.
While restating his government's
opposition to political development in
Egypt, the President added that the African
Union must continue to stand against
unconstitutional governments on the
continent.

The statement read in part, "President
Jonathan reaffirmed his conviction that
African countries needed to strengthen
their institutions of democratic governance
to
guarantee political stability and
sustained development.

"He said democratic governance ought to
be nurtured and encouraged until it takes
firmer root across the continent, adding
that the African Union must continue to
stand against unconstitutional changes of
government in member-states.

"The President regretted recent political
developments in Egypt and called for a
speedy return by the country to
constitutional order and governance.
"Noting that the Forum on China-Africa
Cooperation has become a useful
framework for engagement between
Africa and China, President Jonathan said
the African Union may consider the
establishment of a representative office in
Beijing to facilitate closer ties between the
Asian economic giant and African nations."

Meanwhile, Jonathan and President Xi
Jinping of China on Wednesday in Beijing
presided over the signing of five
agreements to boost financial, trade,
economic, technical and cultural relations
between the two countries.

The agreements which were signed after
bilateral talks between the two leaders and
their delegations, according to the
statement, were the Framework Agreement
on Comprehensive Financial Cooperation In
Support of Nigeria's Economic
Development and a Preferential Buyer
Credit Agreement for Nigeria's Four
Airports Expansion Project.

Others were a new Agreement on
Economic and Technical Cooperation
between Nigeria and China, an Agreement
on Mutual Visa Exemption for holders of
diplomatic and official passports from both
countries and an Agreement for the
Prevention of the Theft, Illicit Import and
Export of Cultural Property.

Speaking before the talks, Jonathan
assured his Chinese counterpart that the
Federal Government is fully committed to
sustaining and developing the strategic
partnership between Nigeria and China for
the mutual benefit of the two countries
and their people.
He said that in spite of the many positive
developments in bilateral relations
between the countries in recent years,
there was still ample scope for increased
trade and direct investment from China in
Nigeria.

Jinping assured Jonathan that China will
continue to work with Nigeria in all
possible areas in furtherance of the
development agenda of both countries.

Earlier in the day, Jonathan was reported to
have
met and invited Senior Executives of
several Chinese conglomerates to initiate
fresh investments in Nigeria or increase
existing ones, saying that the Federal
Government was committed to doing all
within its powers to expand Nigeria's
domestic manufacturing capacity.

Those the President met with included top
executives of Huawei Technologies
Limited, China Great Wall Industries, ZTE
Corporation, the State Grid Corporation of
China, the NIC/SINOPEC/CGC Consortium, the
China Railway Construction Corporation
and the China Harbour Engineering
Corporation.

Jonathan will meet with Premier Li Keqiang
and the Chairman of the Standing
Committee of the National Peoples
Congress, Mr. Zhang Dejiang on Thursday
(today) for further bilateral talks.

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