Nigerian president receives 5 new ambassadors

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan at different audience on Tuesday urged five new ambassadors to the country to work to ensure increased trade and economic activities between Nigeria and their countries. The ambassadors are L. Ann Scott of Jamaica, Hoand Ngoc Ho of Vietnam, Jean-Marie Mowelle of Congo, Zsolt Maris of Hungary and Rolf Kristian Ree of Norway. "Nigerian citizens have been trading with the citizens of Congo, but this has been mostly informal. We should make this formal, so that our relationship will become even stronger," the Nigerian leader told Jean-Marie Mowelle of Congo. President Jonathan told Hoand Ngoc Ho of Vietnam that Nigeria had set a target of 2015 for self-sufficiency in rice production, and urged him to work hard to increase the current 700 million U.S dollars trade between the two countries. The President said Nigeria had opened up its economy to private sector participation, and invited Norwegian businessmen to take advantage of the opportunities, adding that both countries are already cooperating at global for a such as the United Nations. President Jonathan welcomed the interest shown by Hungary in Nigeria's gas, and said he wanted Jamaica to become observers in the Africa-South America Summit, in order to further strengthen economic relations. The new Ambassadors expressed appreciation to President Jonathan for receiving them, and promised to do their best to improve relations between the two countries during their tenures.