NIGERIA TO ASSUME D-8 CHAIRMANSHIP FROM MALAYSIA NEXT MONTH

By Ravichandran Rajamanickam

KUALA LUMPUR, June 9 (Bernam) -- Malaysia will hand over the chairmanship of
The Group of Eight Islamic Developing Countries (D-8) to Nigeria during the
incoming D-8 summit in the West African country next month.

Nigeria's High Commissioner to Malaysia Peter J.E Anegbeh said Nigeria will
assume the D-8 chair when it hosts the 7th D-8 summit in the capital city Abuja
on July 8.

Malaysia took on the D-8 chairmanship on July 8, 2008 at the 6th summit in
Kuala Lumpur. The D-8 is made up of Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran,
Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey.

"All preparations to hold the summit are going on smoothly," Anegbeh told
Bernama in an interview here.

Anegbeh said this is the first time Nigeria will be hosting the summit.

The inaugural summit was hosted by Turkey in Istanbul in 1997. The summit
which is the supreme organ of D-8 comprises Heads of State/Government of member
countries.

With more than 155 million people, Nigeria is Africa's largest democracy and
has the second largest economy where the oil rich country is also known as the
"Land of Opportunities" for its huge economic potential.

Anegbeh said that with the summit, other related meetings would also be
held from July 4 such as the D-8 Commission meeting, Council of Ministers
meeting, D-8 Chambers of Commerce meeting and the D-8 Central Bank Governors
meeting.

The D-8 was established on June 15, 1997 as a forum to enhance cooperation
in various areas and to improve the economic status of member states which now
has a combined population of more than 900 million people and also to improve
the positions of member countries in the global economy.

Among the main areas of cooperation include energy, science and technology,
banking, finance, rural development, agriculture, environment, and health.

Anegbeh also said that among the important agenda of the summit would be the
D-8 Roadmap for Economic Cooperation (2008-2018).

The roadmap which was endorsed during the Kuala Lumpur Summit in 2008,
is aimed at encouraging greater economic cooperation among member states and to
assist in mobilising resources from governmental and private sectors in
implementing D-8 projects.
-- BERNAMA


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