The ambassadors are for Jamaica, Vietnam, Congo, Hungary and Norway.

By Talatu Usman

Five new ambassadors resumed in Nigeria on Tuesday and were welcomed by the President, Goodluck Jonathan.

Mr. Jonathan received ambassadors L. Ann Scott of Jamaica, Hoand Ngoc Ho of Vietnam, Jean-Marie Mowelle of Congo, Zsolt Maris of Hungary, and Rolf Kristian Ree of Norway, at different times in the State House.

He told the ambassadors that Nigeria wants increased trade and economic activities with their countries.

“Nigerian citizens have been trading with the citizens of Congo, but this has been mostly informal. We should make this formal, so that our relationship will become even stronger’, he said to Mr. Jean-Marie Mowelle of Congo.

President Jonathan told Mr. Ngoc Ho of Vietnam that Nigeria has set a target of 2015 for self-sufficiency in rice production, and urged him to work hard to increase the current $700m trade between the two countries.

The President said Nigeria has opened up its economy to private sector participation, and invited Norwegian businessmen to take advantage of the opportunities, adding that both countries are already cooperating at global scenes like the United Nations.

The President welcomed the interest shown by Hungary in Nigeria’s gas, and said he wants Jamaica to become observers in the Africa-South America Summit, in order to further strengthen economic relations.

The new ambassadors expressed appreciation to Mr. Jonathan for receiving them, and promised to do their best to improve relations between their countries and Nigeria during their tenures.