Nigeria open to potential cooperation in oil industry |18 August 2004

His Excellency Scott Oguma Esirekpe Omene, who presented his credentials to President James Michel at State House Tuesday August 17, told reporters after meeting with the president and Vice-President Joseph Belmont that discussions touched on a number of topics, one of which was oil.

Mr Omene said that Nigeria – among the world’s leading oil producers and the top producer in Africa – could lend its expertise to Seychelles if it wanted to explore the potential of an oil industry in Indian Ocean waters.

“I’m sure Nigeria would consider such a request,” he said, pointing to the “very cordial and warm” relationship between the two countries.

The new high commissioner said that Nigeria and Africans in general were proud of Seychelles, calling the islands an outstanding exception to the prevailing negative image sometimes portrayed by the media when reporting the often pessimistic news of the African mainland.

Mr Omene, who will be based in Nairobi, Kenya, said one of his main priorities in his new post would be to learn more about how the tourism industry is organised in Seychelles, as the Nigerian government has targeted the travel trade as a priority area for its development.

He also spoke of other links, such as a longstanding technical cooperation programme that has seen a number of young professionals from Nigeria moving to Seychelles to contribute in several different fields.

“It’s proven to be very useful,” he said, as the services of many of its participants have been retained upon completing the programme.

The high commissioner added that the two countries could benefit from sharing and learning about each other’s fishing industries, and he also specifically mentioned educational links, which he said were a “solid foundation in the cooperation between Nigeria and Seychelles.”

Mr Omene is the sixth Nigerian High Commissioner to be accredited to Seychelles. He replaces Fdelis Naanmiap Tapgun, who served as high commissioner from 2001 to 2003.

Seychelles and Nigeria established diplomatic relations on January 28, 1977.