[allAfrica.com]  [celtel.com]


Liberia to Adopt Nigeria's Economic Reform Model

This Day (Lagos)
NEWS
February 27, 2006
Posted to the web February 27, 2006

By Kunle Aderinokun
Abuja
Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has said her country will adopt
Nigeria's economic reform programmes as a guide to transform its economy.
Johnson-Sirleaf disclosed this when she received a Nigerian delegation of
Special Technical/Reform Team led by the Minister of State for Finance, Mrs.
Nenadi Usman, at the Presidential Palace, Monr-ovia last week.
A statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Minister of State for
Finance, Mr. Abdul-Ganiyu Aminu, quoted Johnson-Sirleaf as saying, "Liberia has
a lot to learn from Nigeria's experience in economic reforms as it begins its
own process of economic transformation."
The Nigerian delegation was in Liberia to assist the country institutionalise
public and private sector reform.
The Liberian President also appealed for private sector collaboration from
Nigeria in the area of investments in all sectors of the Liberian economy.
The leader of the Nigerian delegation had earlier told the Liberian leader that
the all-inclusive delegation was sent by President Olusegun Oba-sanjo to avail
Liberia of Nigeria's own experience of economic reform as well as identify the
level of assistance required in the context of Liberia's reform agenda .
The Minister noted that the high level of the Nigerian delegation was a
reflection of the importance President Obasanjo attached to the promise made to
Sirleaf during her inauguration to assist Liberia grow her economy.
Usman expressed Oba-sanjo's willingness to assist Liberia in its peace
consolidation and economic transformation.
She told Johnson-Sirleaf of the progress and successes so far recorded by
Nigeria in her economic reform measures.
Such measures, she pointed out, included successes recorded in good governance,
anti-corruption war, debt relief, public expenditure management, power sector
reform, customs reform, public service reform, pension reform privatisation,
due process and transparency in revenue allocation etc.
While stating that Nigeria was once confronted with the same problems currently
facing Liberia, Usman advised that Liberia had a lot to learn from Nigeria in
her bid to jump-start her economy.
Members of the Nigerian delegation that accompanied the Minister of State are
the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Edmond Daukoro; Economic
Adviser to the President and CEO, National Planning Comm-ission, Dr. Osita
Ogbu; Senior Special Assistant to the President on Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs) Mrs. Amina Ibrahim; Special Adviser to the President/CEO Nigerian Export
Promotion Council (NEPC), Mrs. Gladys Sasore, and the Director, Inter-national
Economic Relations of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Professor S. O. Monye.
Others are the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Commerce, Mrs. Janet
Ogu-nleye; the Managing Director, First Bank of Nigeria and Director
Transnational Corpo-ration, Mr. Jacobs Ajekigbe; and Mr. Enoch P. Duchi, an
Assistant Director in the Federal Ministry of Finance.

   

  =============================================================================
   Copyright © 2006 This Day. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica
                         Global Media (allAfrica.com).
  =============================================================================