Jonathan Charges African Leaders To Improve Human Development Indicators
President Goodluck
Jonathan said Monday in Abuja that African leaders need to make a
greater effort to achieve more significant improvements on the
continent’s human development indicators.
Speaking at an audience with Zambia’s new High Commissioner to
Nigeria, Lt.-Col. Bizwayo Newton Nkunika (rtd.), President Jonathan said
that while notable macro-economic growth had been achieved across the
continent in recent years, African leaders must now focus more on
translating such gains into improved living conditions for their people.
The President noted that
Africa’s political independence would only become truly meaningful to
its citizens with visible improvements in human development indicators
such as reduction in poverty levels, access to better healthcare
facilities, good education and employment opportunities for their
children.
Remarking that the challenge of
poverty unfortunately continues to blur other achievements in Africa
since the continent attained political liberation, President Jonathan
said that African leaders clearly needed to prioritize job creation and
poverty reduction.
President Jonathan also urged
other African leaders to fulfill promises of opening up their economies
to greater regional and intra-continental trade, while re-positioning
their countries to attract more foreign direct investments through
increased political and economic stability.
President Jonathan also
received letters of credence from the new Ambassador of Denmark to
Nigeria, Ms. Margit Thomsen and the new Ambassador of the Netherlands to
Nigeria, Mr. Johannes Cornelis Maria Groffenf.
Welcoming all three new
ambassadors to the country, the President urged them to work for
enhanced bilateral relations between their countries and Nigeria.
President Jonathan also received the outing Ambassador of Burkina Faso, Mr. Dramare Yameogo.
He commended Mr. Yameogo for
his efforts to improve on the existing cordial relations between Nigeria
and Burkina Faso, and wished him success in his future assignments.
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