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| Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan |
From Xinhua, about Nigeria's center-right president: "At the State Luncheon hosted by his Botswana's counterpart Ian Khama, [Nigerian President Goodluck] Jonathan said that after the victory over the forces of colonialism and apartheid in the continent, the next logical frontiers remain the consolidation of independence and economic development. 'True independence will only come to Africa when the continent boosts its internal trade and weans itself of its dependence on external aid. This is why we support the AU's persistent focus on boosting intra-African trade as a means of further fostering a better regional and continental integration,' he said."
More: "He said the economic development will be more difficult to achieve without a free intra-trade economic and trading system. 'Africa is well endowed in terms of human and material resources that can be utilized for a turn-around of Africa's economy,' Jonathan said, adding African countries must take their destinies in their own hands, and 'individually and collectively harness Africa's resources with the partnership of the international community.'"
