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Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo appealed Saturday for Caribbean support for his country's bid to win a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council.
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (AP)--Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo appealed Saturday for Caribbean support for his country's bid to win a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council.
Obasanjo urged Trinidad to lobby other members of the 15-nation Caribbean Community, known as Caricom, to support Nigeria.
"We also hope that you will prevail on other members of the Caricom to see the advantage of having a country like Nigeria on the Security Council," Obasanjo said, during a speech in Trinidad's Parliament.
The Security Council currently has 15 members, 10 elected for two-year terms and five permanent members.
Brazil, Germany, India and Japan have proposed a 25-member council, adding six permanent seats without a veto and four nonpermanent seats. The so-called Group of Four is hoping to win four of the permanent seats with the other two earmarked for Africa.
South Africa, Nigeria and Egypt are the leading African contenders.
Caricom announced its support for the plan at a summit last month.
Trinidad Foreign Minister Nolson Gift said Caricom supported giving two permanent seats to African countries but declined to say whether Trinidad would back Nigeria's bid.
Obasanjo arrived Saturday for a four-day visit to participate in celebrations of the anniversary of the abolition of slavery in Trinidad.
The Nigerian leader said he was eager for Trinidad's help in developing his West African country's vast natural gas reserves.
Trinidad had become the leading supplier of liquid natural gas to the U.S., supplying 75% of imports last year. The former British colony has proven natural gas reserves of at least 30 trillion cubic feet.
Nigeria, Africa's leading oil producer, has proven reserves exceeding 170 trillion cubic feet, most of it barely exploited.
"It is my opinion that your technology will have a ready and profitable market in Nigeria as we are in the process of developing our large (natural gas) reserves," he said.
Obasanjo will meet privately with Trinidad Prime Minister Patrick Manning on Tuesday.
On Monday, the two leaders walk in a parade marking Emancipation Day. Britain abolished slavery in Trinidad and other colonies on Aug. 1, 1834, though it took several years for the measure to become reality.
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