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B N W: Biafra Nigeria World News |
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Govt to seek Israel's aid on desertification
VICE-PRESIDENT Atiku Abubakar on Monday stated the country's readiness to seek Israel's help in tackling desertification.
He also urged Japanese businessmen to increase their investment in the country, assuring that Nigeria had become more investment-friendly.
The Vice President spoke separately while receiving Israeli and Japanese ambassadors in Nigeria, Mr. Noam Katz and Mr. Akira Matsui.
Atiku noted that Israel's experience in fighting desertification was worthy of emulation.
He said: "The President in his usual commitment to issues of national importance set up the national council on desertification with me as chairman. We have been mandated to combat desertification. I know that Israel has been able to combat desertification successfully. We are ready to learn from the Israeli experience."
To begin the desertification, the Vice President directed the Ministry of Environment to liaise with the Israeli embassy to find areas of co-operation on the matter.
He told the Japanese envoy that returns on investments in Nigeria were some of the highest anywhere in the world.
Atiku also said the ambassador contributed to the growth of Japanese aid to Nigeria during his 32-month tenure, especially in areas of rural electrification, water supply, health and education.
Matsui stated that 120 Japanese firms were in the country, a decline from 800 companies operating at the peak of Japanese investment in Nigeria.
He also said that overseas development assistance to Nigeria had risen from $35 million to $80 million in his tenure.
Matsui promised to co-operate with Nigeria in the on-going reforms at United Nations, especially in Nigeria's effort to take up a permanent seat in Security Council.
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