Press Release

Nigerian government welcomes OFID
Vice President receives Al-Herbish

17/2008 June 11, Abuja, Nigeria
Press inquiries:

Nigeria’s Vice-President HE Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan (GCON), last night received OFID Director-General, Mr. Suleiman Jasir Al-Herbish, at State House, Abuja. The Director-General was on a courtesy visit at the close of the OFID Workshop on Energy Poverty in Africa held June 9-10 in the Nigerian capital. With the Vice-President were HE Dr. Shamsuddeen Usman (OFR), Minister of Finance, and HE Ms. Ama I. Pepple, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance and Nigeria’s Governor to OFID.

Vice-President Jonathan conveyed HE President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s appreciation to OFID for what the institution was cumulatively doing to contribute to development in low-income African countries. The Vice-President thanked Mr. Al-Herbish for his personal commitment to Africa, demonstrated by OFID’s delivery of the lion’s share of its resources to the continent. “It is our fervent hope,” the Vice-President said, “that Africa, someday, will overcome all of its present problems.” He advised OFID to continue with its engagement in the continent in all areas to help eventually create wealth. The Vice-President said he recognized the gesture of holding OFID’s very first external workshop on African soil and in Nigeria. The workshop, he added, echoing President Yar’Adua’s statement earlier in the day, was a first move toward implementing some of the assignments listed under the Riyadh Declaration of 2007, which followed the Third OPEC Summit. The Vice-President assured Mr. Al-Herbish, of Nigeria’s continued backing for OFID: “If you need anything, let us know,” he declared.

Mr. Al-Herbish had told the Vice-President that his (Al-Herbish’s) decision to hold the Abuja Workshop in Nigeria came easy. Al-Herbish said Nigeria was a most active and committed Member State of OFID, having supported the institution since its founding. Nigeria also played a key role in OPEC, as an organization. Mr. Al-Herbish thanked the Vice-President, and through him the Nigerian people, for this support.

Mr. Al-Herbish also briefed the Vice-President on the workshop’s deliberations and conclusions. Participants, the Director-General reported, agreed that Africa, Sub-Sahara Africa in particular, deserved world attention and cooperation as the region struggled to develop energy resources which are clearly required to make progress on all of the eight Millennium Development Goals. Mr. Al-Herbish chronicled some of the energy-related difficulties facing the continent; among them a lack of critical institutions, low density, low income and an inability among many citizens to pay for utilities. Mr. Al-Herbish again thanked the government and people of Nigeria for their hospitality and the amenities made available for the Abuja workshop which was co-organized by the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Finance.

Along with Finance Minister Dr. Usman and Permanent Secretary Ms. Pepple, the Vice-President’s entourage at the meeting included several ranking state officials. Mr. Al-Herbish’s delegation comprised Mr. Said Aissi, Assistant Director-General, Department of Public and Private Sector Operations; Mr. Ibrahim Alturki, Director, Africa Region; and Mr. Sam Ifeagwu, Senior Officer, Department of Information.