Photo courtesy of U.S. State DepartmentU.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan and his National Security Council in Abuja last week.
High on Clinton’s agenda was Nigeria’s battle with corruption.
In a pre-meeting briefing for the press, a State Department official said: ‘The Secretary will also talk to Nigerian officials about issues of corruption. Nigeria has had a long history of corruption. Corruption is a hidden tax. It is a cancer which undermines development and siphons off much-needed funds away from key development projects into wasted spending. So it will also be an issue of concern.’
Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country, with 170 million people. It produces 2.2 million barrels of oil a day, making it one of the top 10 producers in the world and America’s fifth largest oil supplier.
Nigeria ranks 143 on the corruption perceptions index, tied with Russia.
In June, a Nigerian government report said high-level officials and business people stole $6.8 billion in public funds intended to subsidize the cost of fuel.
Secretary Clinton traveled throughout Africa from July 31 until August 10. Nigeria was her final stop.
Here’s what she said after her meetings in Abuja Thursday:
Source: U.S. State Department
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