President Obasanjo, Mrs. Stella Obasanjo, Distinguished guests

We are honoured and pleased to receive you and your wife in Oslo.

You come here as the president of a great African nation.

You represent a Nigeria where democracy again has taken hold. Indeed, you yourself brought Nigeria back to civilian rule at the end of the 1970s.

Today, you are facing up to the challenges of bringing your country social development and stability.

We are honoured to receive you - as a global leader, and an African leader for the 21 ^st> century.

I understand Yoruba offers a variety of greetings. I shall say the following, to make sure you feel at home:

Ekaábo [trykk på k og a, betyr velkommen]

Eku simi [trykk på u, uttrykker ønske om at gjesten skal føle seg hjemme.]

And I shall add, in Norwegian: Velkommen til oss !

Mr President,

You have made it your objective to break a vicious circle of Nigerian politics:

Military rule.

In the 1980s and 1990s military rule halted development in Nigeria.

Mismanagement caused economic and social stagnation.

People suffered.

The suppression of fundamental human rights drove Nigeria into international isolation.

In this country and elsewhere, we felt a strong need to protest against the infringements upon basic rights. We lent our support to the forces of democracy.

Today, Nigeria is changed.

You have put the country firmly on the path of reform.

You have set in motion an ambitious programme for change and social development, and for combating corruption.

We are impressed by your committment, and by what you have achieved.

While before there were severe limitations on the scope for co-operation between us, we now witness a multiplication of opportunities.

We will work together on health, in the petroleum sector, and on human rights.

Health is at the top of your agenda. You have given special priority to combatting malaria and HIV-AIDS.

Health is fundamental for development.

You have said yourself that people must see the results of democracy:

Better health will show people that democracy makes a difference.

By rebuilding the health system you also restore confidence in the public sector.

I have recently announced Norway’s intention to provide major support to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization - GAVI.

The great ambition of GAVI is to immunize every child.

I know that Nigeria is working closely with GAVI, and will benefit from grants and technical co-operation.

Through the GAVI initiative, Norway will support the people of Nigeria.

Nigeria and Norway are both major oil producers and exporters. We have agreed to work together, to strengthen resource management and environment in the petroleum sector, and to develop Nigerian petroleum resources. I am confident this can be of great value for us both.

The income generated by petroleum exports offer great opportunities. But it also offers challenges. We have found in this country that a fair distribution of wealth is a good recipe for development and economic and political stability. I understand this also is your objective.

Norway has pledged to support the work for human rights in Nigeria. We will work with you, and involve institutions, private business and voluntary organisations.

We share with you the conviction that there is a strong link between democracy and development.

Democracy offers opportunities.

It provides security.

It releases individual and collective creativity.

It stimulates growth and development.

Mr President,

In the 20 ^th> century Africa won independence. But it lost development.

Today, at the beginning of a new century, there is a feeling that many African nations are faced with staggering difficulties.

The battle against poverty has not been won.

Growth is uneven.

Diseases are spreading, and take a terrible toll.

Regional conflicts cause devastating set-backs.

But there is also a new sense of confidence and responsibility amongst many African leaders.

Democratic processes are strengthened.

Communities are mobilised.

There is growing awareness about the strong need for good governance.

In this part of the world, we often underestimate the ability of people to improvise and to achieve a lot with limited means. Teachers, health workers and community workers all over Africa know how to achieve a lot with little.

Just over two weeks ago I met with president Thabo Mbeki, together with the other Nordic Prime Ministers.

We agreed that the challenges facing Africa call for extraordinary, sustained intervention.

We agreed to join forces.

We call on the support of others to turn the tide.

Debt relief, greater market access, and access to affordable health and education are among the keys required to unlock an African revival.

We had a very stimulating discussion about this in our meeting this afternoon.

We must make the early decades of the 21 ^st> millennium the starting point for an African Renaissance.

We must make this century the century Africa won back development.

Development for Africa.

Development by Africa.

And development with Africa.

This means that we will stand by Africa and its peoples.

We will continue to help you defeat poverty, roll back malaria and HIV-AIDS, bring education to village girls and boys.

Mr President,

Nigeria is a country of ancient civilisations. Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka and many other Nigerian novelists and poets have made a lasting contribution to contemporary literature.

We are convinced that you can draw on the history of your great and diverse country:

Mobilise its vast resources.

Release its tremendous energies and potential.

And ensure democracy and development for all.

I was happy to be able to receive you at the Prime Minister’s office this afternoon, with young Norwegians playing West-African drums and dancing.

We wanted to show you that cultural impulses between Africa and Northern Europe flow in both directions.

That they enrich our society.

And that we are grateful for that.

We are honored to have you as our visitor.

We know you are faced with tremendous responsibilities.

Your people expect a lot from you.

Africa expects a lot.

The world expects a lot.

You have our support.

When Nigeria moves ahead, it sets a powerful example. Democracy and development in Nigeria has a profound impact on the region.

Nigeria holds a key to Africa’s future. Nigeria provides hope to Africa.

I ask you to join me in a toast to president Obasanjo and Mrs. Stella Obasanjo, to the people of Nigeria, and to fruitful and close relations between our