Jonathan in Dakar for AU summit

President Goodluck Jonathan left Abuja yesterday (Saturday) for Dakar with Nigeria's delegation to the African Union's Summit on Financing Infrastructure Development scheduled to hold today in Senegal.

A statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, in Abuja, said Jonathan's entourage included the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and the Minister of Industries, Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga.

Also with the President were the Minister of Works, Mr. Mike Onolememen, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Nurudeen Mohammed and his Special Adviser on NEPAD, Ambassador Fidelia Njeze,

They will join other participating heads of state, representatives of the United Nations, the African Union, global financial institutions and leading investors in deliberations at the summit aimed at accelerating  the implementation of key priority  infrastructure projects within the framework of the African Union's programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa.

The statement said the President and other participants at the summit, which has been convened under the auspices of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), will also brainstorm on the mobilisation of domestic financial resources for infrastructure development, the creation of conducive policy environments to enhance investments in infrastructure development and the leveraging of Public-Private Partnerships for continental infrastructure transformation.

The summit is expected to pay particular attention to the evolution of fresh strategies for the financing of high priority infrastructure projects such as regional road and rail networks, power supply and ports development.