Nigeria to open embassy in Sao Tome, Principe
2001-01-04 09:52
Abuja - Nigeria is to open an embassy in the Gulf of Guinea island republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Information Minister Jerry Gana said on Wednesday.
The government had approved the diplomatic mission in the former Portuguese colony because of its proximity to Nigeria's offshore oil fields, Gana told reporters at the end of the weekly cabinet meeting.
Nigeria, a leading member of the Organisation of Petroleum
Exporting Countries (OPEC), derives more than 95 percent of its
foreign exchange earnings from crude oil exports.
An ambassador has already been appointed to head the Sao Tome mission, the minister said, without giving details.
Located 300km off the coast of Gabo, Sao Tome
and Principe is one of the smallest countries in the world. Its
126 000 inhabitants depend largely on foreign aid. - Sapa-AFP
- SAPA