Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ABUJA1294
2008-07-03 15:53:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Abuja
Cable title:  

NIGERIA: CODEL BERMAN MEETING WITH VICE PRESIDENT

Tags:  PREL PGOV EPET EINV ENRG EAGR OREP NI 
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DE RUEHUJA #1294/01 1851553
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 031553Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY ABUJA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3293
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHOS/AMCONSUL LAGOS 9541
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC
RHMFISS/HQ USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE
RHMFISS/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE
RUZEJAA/JAC MOLESWORTH RAF MOLESWORTH UK
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ABUJA 001294 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/07/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV EPET EINV ENRG EAGR OREP NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: CODEL BERMAN MEETING WITH VICE PRESIDENT
GOODLUCK JONATHAN

Classified By: Ambassador Robin R. Sanders, reasons 1.4 (b & d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ABUJA 001294

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/07/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV EPET EINV ENRG EAGR OREP NI
SUBJECT: NIGERIA: CODEL BERMAN MEETING WITH VICE PRESIDENT
GOODLUCK JONATHAN

Classified By: Ambassador Robin R. Sanders, reasons 1.4 (b & d)


1. (SBU) Summary: Codel Berman discussed bilateral
relations, Zimbabwe, regional peacekeeping, the situation in
the Niger Delta, and prospects for economic growth with Vice
President Goodluck Jonathan. The Vice President lauded
bilateral relations and called for increased investment in
Nigeria by American companies. He lamented the situation in
Zimbabwe and expressed the determination of the GON to
continue support of peacekeeping efforts, including in
Somalia, while asking for U.S. support for Nigerian troops
involved in peacekeeping. He described the conflict in the
Niger Delta as 30 percent driven by people with legitimate
grievances, while 70 percent is now attributable to
criminality. He welcomed U.S. support to GON efforts to
confront its challenges in the Delta Region. Jonathan
presented a very optimistic (and unrealistic) timetable for
holding a Niger Delta Summit with ensuing positive results.
The Vice President stated that Nigeria could experience
sustained strong economic growth if it could resolve the
problems in the Delta, ensure adequate infrastructure, and
develop the country's agricultural potential. End summary.


2. (U) A House of Representatives Delegation led by Committee
on Foreign Affairs Chairman Howard Berman, including
Representatives George Miller, Ed Royce, Tom Davis, Donald
Payne and Linda Sanchez, met with Vice President Goodluck
Jonathan in Abuja on June 28. Ambassador, HFAC Senior Staff
and EconCouns (notetaker) were also present. Jonathan was
serving as Acting President as President Yar'Adua had just
departed for the African Union Summit. He was accompanied in
the meeting by the heads of the Nigerian House and Senate
committees on foreign affairs and the President's Liaison to
the National Assembly, along with officials of various
ministries including Agriculture and Health.

Bilateral Relations Are Good; More U.S. Investment Sought
-------------- --------------

3. (SBU) Chairman Berman began by welcoming the Vice
President's thoughts on bilateral relations, recognizing
Nigeria's contributions to regional peacekeeping, and
welcoming recent GON statements on Zimbabwe. The Vice
President stated that the GON places great importance on
relations with the U.S. He expressed appreciation on behalf
of President Yar'Adua for the reception the latter received
during his visit to the U.S. in December. He also expressed
appreciation to the U.S. for debt relief and ongoing
assistance, and thanked the Ambassador for her strong
engagement with Nigeria. He and his colleagues expressed
appreciation for the PEPFAR program and other USG efforts in
the health sector. The Ministry of Health representative
specifically expressed appreciation for USAID and CDC
capacity building efforts, including at hospitals and
universities. The Vice President also commented within the
bilateral framework that the GON was "not too comfortable"
with U.S. travel warnings about Nigeria. He stated that the
security concerns, particularly in the Niger Delta, were
real, but asked for a "balanced reaction" from Nigeria's
foreign friends.


4. (SBU) Responding to the Chairman's request for comments on
how relations could be improved, the Vice President called
for additional investment by American companies. He noted
the presence of American petroleum exploration and
development and service companies, and asked the Codel to
encourage those companies and others to invest in additional
areas, including some in-country production of equipment for
the petroleum sector. He said that such investment could
have a positive impact in the Niger Delta, creating both
direct and indirect employment opportunities. At present,
less than 10 percent of investment in petroleum exploration
and development is invested locally. The Vice President said
that President Yar'Adua had spoken with many companies in the
U.S., but talk of investment had not progressed into action.
Power and transportation, including rail, were major
opportunities for U.S. businesses to invest in Nigeria.

Zimbabwe
--------------

5. (SBU) The discussion then turned to Zimbabwe with
Jonathan lamenting the current political situation, noting
that the AU would be taking up the issue. He said, "We know
what Mugabe has done for the country and his people in the

ABUJA 00001294 002 OF 003


past," but now it was time for leaders in the region to come
together for the sake of the people of Zimbabwe to address
present day issues.

Regional Peacekeeping
--------------

6. (SBU) Representative Payne praised Nigeria's tradition of
support for regional peacekeeping and urged involvement in
Somalia, in part to avoid having troops from neighboring
countries involved. The Vice President expressed the
determination of the GON to continue support for peacekeeping
efforts, including in Somalia, while asking for U.S.
assistance for Nigerian troops. He noted specifically the
need for infrastructure support, training and other
assistance in order for Nigerian soldiers to go to Somalia.

Situation in the Niger Delta
--------------

7. (C) Jonathan described the present conflict in the Niger
Delta as 30 percent driven by people with legitimate
grievances and 70 percent attributable to criminality. He
said the GON was struggling to address the issues giving rise
to conflict. He reported on plans to hold a major Niger
Delta Summit with all stakeholders as soon as possible. His
goal was to see the situation addressed properly and achieve
concrete progress before the end of the year, including
reductions in underlying tensions, hostage taking and attacks
on facilities. He welcomed any and all related support from
the U.S. and said the GON would provide the USG any
information on the situation it requested. In response to a
request from Representative Royce about needs and
capabilities to pursue criminal elements, including assets
for the Navy, Jonathan said that Nigeria "definitely needed
USG assistance to handle the criminal element." He said what
had started as community agitation "against unacceptable
actions by oil companies and a lack of amenities" had
developed into a situation dominated by criminal activity,
including illegal bunkering. He said there were people
involved in the conflict who were not Nigerian citizens,
particularly arms dealers "who are well-known to your
security system," and asked that the U.S. help "break the
link to the supply of illegal weapons." At the same time, he
said he had visited some militant camps and seen other
aspects of the situation first-hand, adding: "you can't just
crush the problem through force of arms." He acknowledged
the GON was in need of sea and shallow water-capable ships
and boats to control arms smuggling and other aspects of
criminality.


8. (C) In response to Representative Berman's question
regarding a date for the Niger Delta Summit, the Vice
President presented a very optimistic timetable and predicted
positive results. He said a major goal of the proposed
Summit was to limit the amount of force needed to deal with
the criminal elements. His goal was to have the Consultative
Steering Committee (CSC),which would be led by UN Envoy
Professor Gambari, take place by July 10. The Committee
would then pick the date for the Summit, but the Vice
President predicted the Summit would take place during the
third or fourth week of July. He said the CSC would be given
the freedom to create dialogue with the ethnic communities
and stakeholders.

Economic Prospects
--------------

9. (SBU) Jonathan stated that Nigeria could realize
sustained high growth rates if it could resolve the problems
in the Delta, ensure adequate infrastructure throughout the
country, and develop Nigeria's agricultural potential. It
was important to create value-added production, including
processing of agricultural products. Electric power remained
a major problem. Small and medium enterprises were
consequently dying out, though SME's were vitally needed for
job creation and development of the middle class. Part of
the solution to the power challenge had to be a move away
from public sector dominance of generation, transmission and
distribution.

Private Sector Discussions
--------------

10. (C) The Codel was able to have in-depth private sector
briefings on the investment climate following the meeting
with Vice President Jonathan. While there was plenty of good

ABUJA 00001294 003 OF 003


news in the economic outlook, security for oil and gas
operations was a repeated concern, as was the government's
will to resolve the electric power problem. The unresolved
Delta problem continues to overshadow high-growth prospects.
When Chairman Berman noted to international oil company
representatives that some government officials had claimed
that the Niger Delta crisis was the fault of the IOC's due to
their lack of support for economic development in local
communities, the IOC reps rejected that argument as
"rubbish," and pointed out that only six percent of
development funds are supposed to come directly from the
IOC's, with the federal, state and local governments having
the bulk of the cash flow and thus the primary development
responsibility.


11. (C) Comment: Although the Mission rarely deals within
the Vice President's Office, he clearly demonstrated his
ability to present his optic on the issues in the Niger
Delta, regardless of whether misguided in terms of
deliverables in either the short or long term, to resolve the
conflict. He clearly presented an overly rosy estimate for
near-term progress in the Delta, and has done little to bring
the parties together around a coherent strategy. Jonathan
met with governors from the Delta region the day after his
meeting with the Codel. News reports since have relayed that
at least some of the governors and a variety of other opinion
leaders are less than enthusiastic toward the federal
government's summit initiative including the appointment of
UN Envoy Gambari. Unfortunately, those who benefit from the
conflict and accompanying criminality have little incentive
to work toward a solution. The same weekend that Jonathan
was meeting with the Codel and then the governors, there was
another reported attack on a Shell operation, further
punctuating how far off the GON is from addressing or
resolving the issues. End Comment.


12. (U) This cable was cleared by Codel Berman staff.
SANDERS