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Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo Saturday formally handed over to the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, a 16 million US-dollar building complex built by the country for UN agencies in the nation`s capital Abuja.
Lagos, Nigeria, 01/30 - Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo Saturday formally handed over to the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, a 16 million US-dollar building complex built by the country for UN agencies in the nation`s capital Abuja.
At a brief ceremony witnessed by members of the diplomatic corps, UN officials and other dignitaries, Obasanjo cut the ceremonial cake to mark the handing over.
He thanked the UN and its Country team for the excellent job they were doing in Nigeria, but added, like Oliver Twist, he was still asking for more.
The Nigerian leader and current African Union (AU) chair urged the UN to help African countries secure debt relief, saying the 20 billion dollars being spent by the continent on debt repayment annually was hampering efforts at fighting poverty.
Annan thanked Obasanjo and the people of Nigeria for the gesture. He described the building "as a symbol of the bond between our organisation and the country we work in."
"It (building) provides a meeting place of ideas to advance the welfare of the people we are here to serve," the UN chief added.
All UN agencies in Nigeria, except the UN Information Centre based in Lagos, are expected to move into the five-floor building by the end of this month.