Sullivan Foundation honours President Obasanjo
By
Dec 6, 2004, 15:36

The Leon Sullivan Foundation on 2 December in Washington DC, United States (US) organised a special gathering in honour of the sterling leadership qualities demonstrated by President Olusegun Obasanjo and President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal among others.

Titled an Evening in Celebration of the Founders and Leaders of the New Economic Partnership for Africa's Development – NEPAD, the Keynote Speaker at the event was the Honourable William J. Clinton.

Obasanjo was honoured on account of:

• His commitment to transparency in governance

• His commitment to peacekeeping in Africa

• His role as architect of NEPAD

• His role as spokesman for Africa.

In his speech at the occasion, Obasanjo implored the international community to pay more attention to issues of development in Africa, especially the Gulf of Guinea region which holds about 10 percent of the world’s unexplored oil reserves.

He subsequently disclosed Nigeria’s plan to raise oil supplies to the US from seven to 15 percent in the next few years, while a US oil outfit, Chevron-Texaco, announced plans to invest over $20 billion in the exploration and exploitation of oil and gas in Africa, especially in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea.

Obasanjo also noted that NEPAD is providing African Leaders with an effective channel through which to pursue peace, security, democracy and good governance on the continent.

Chairman of the Leon Sullivan Foundation and former US Ambassador to the United Nations, Andrew Young, asked all citizens of African descent to travel at least twice a year to the continent in order to contribute to its growth.

Small businesses, particularly those catering to the needs of tourists, are expected to flourish from such trips.

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