/ 19 May 1999

JUBILEE 2000 IN NIGERIA

THE director of Jubilee 2000, a British-based coalition of non-governmental organisations campaigning to cancel the unpayable debt of the world’s poorest countries, on Monday began a five-day study visit to Nigeria. Ann Pettifor is expected to meet Nigeria’s president-elect Olusegun Obasanjo to raise questions about Britain’s recent offer of debt relief for Nigeria. British Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown has said he will support debt relief for Africa’s most populous country as it returns to civilian rule later this month. Nigeria has debts estimated at more than $30-billion, run up by years of military regimes.