. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/MIN(09)/ST/18 
1 December 2009 
 (09-6073) 
MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE 
Seventh Session Geneva, 30 November - 2 December 2009 Original:   English 
 
  
NIGERIA 
 
Statement by Chief Achike Udenwa
 
Honourable Minister of Commerce and Industry  
  1. Let me, on behalf of the Nigerian delegation,  congratulate you on your election as the 
Chairman of the Seventh Ministerial Conference.  I should also convey our deep appreciation to 
HE Mr Pascal Lamy, Director-G eneral of the WTO, and the Ch airman of the General Council, 
Ambassador Mario Matus, for the effective manner in which they have managed the affairs of our 
Organization, including the preparatory process for this  Conference.  I wish to thank the Chairpersons 
of the various WTO Bodies, especially the Ch airs of the Negotiating Groups on Agriculture, 
Non-Agricultural Market Access (NAMA) and Se rvices, for the comprehensive reports on the 
activities of the WTO and the state of play in th e Doha Development Agenda (DDA) negotiations.  I 
should further express our sincere and heartfelt a ppreciation to the Government and people of the 
Swiss Confederation for the warm hospitality that h as been extended to me and my delegation;  as 
well as for the excellent facilities that have been provi ded for the Conference in this beautiful city of 
Geneva. 
2. The 7
th Ministerial Conference is taking place at a very critical and tryi ng period for not only 
the multilateral trading system, but also for the glob al economy as a whole.  In particular, we have 
continued to experience the devastating and far-re aching effects of the current global economic and 
financial crisis on the fragile and vulnerable econom ies of developing countries, even though the 
crisis originated in the developed economies.  Consequently, Nigeria shares the belief that the 
7th Ministerial Conference provides Members with an  important opportunity to take stock of the 
trading system, improve and strengthen the rules-based trading system;  and consider those areas 
where further action is required to achieve a su ccessful conclusion of the DDA,  in accordance with its 
Mandate.  It is, therefore, Nigeria's expectati on that this Conference would provide the necessary 
clarity and impetus towards the early and successful conclusion of the Doha Round, so as to stimulate the growth and recovery of the global economy, as well as promote the effective participation of 
Nigeria and other developing countries in world trade. 
3. Nigeria remains deeply concerned that the DDA negotiations, which were launched at Doha 
in 2001 with a view to, inter alia , boosting international trade and gl obal economic growth as well as 
facilitating the successful integration of devel oping countries into the global economy, remain 
inconclusive after more than eight years of tortuous  hard work.  Nigeria, therefore, would like to 
encourage Members to collectively work for a trul y development outcome to the Round.  We further 
call on the developed countries to demonstrate the required leadership by exercising the flexibilities 
that would translate the present political commitments into the concrete proposals that would lead to 
the successful conclusion of the Round in 2010. 
4. As a member-driven Organization, there is need  to ensure that the negotiating process, under 
the leadership of the Chairpersons of the Negotia ting Groups, adheres to core principles and values, WT/MIN(09)/ST/18 
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__________ particularly the primacy of the multilateral proces s, inclusiveness and transparency.  In addition, 
Nigeria believes that we should build on the conve rgence that has been achie ved on the basis of the 
December 2008 revised draft modalities texts on Ag riculture and NAMA.  Special and differential 
treatment for developing and least developed countri es should also remain the central element in all 
the areas of the negotiations. 
5. It is also our expectation that full modalities in Agriculture and NAMA would be 
accomplished, as soon as possible, if the Doha Round is  to be concluded by 2010.  Accordingly, we 
call on Members to, in the post-MC7 period, intensif y negotiations in all outstanding areas.  On our 
part, we look forward to continued engagement  in the pursuit of the long-term objective of 
establishing a fairer and market-oriented global agri cultural trade regime.  Nigeria looks forward to 
concrete progress on Special Products (SPs);  and the establishment of a flexible and operational 
Special Safeguards Mechanism (SSM) that would fully address the food security, livelihood security 
and rural development needs of developing countries.   We also want an expeditious and meaningful 
solution to the cotton issue, in view of its impor tance to the economies of many African countries, 
particularly cotton-dependent LDCs. 
6. Nigeria acknowledges that trade liberalization can and does contribute to economic growth 
and development.  However, we also recognize that  the relationship between trade liberalization and 
development is not automatic.  Indeed, experience has shown that it is supply-side and trade-capacity 
constraints, more than everything else, that have hampered the integration and effective participation 
of many developing countries, particularly those fro m Africa in the international trading system.  In 
that regard, Nigeria would urge that developing co untries should be provided with adequate technical 
and capacity-building assistance that is specifically ta ilored to the trade and development needs of the 
individual countries.  Aid for Trade should also be seen as an important vehicle to support developing 
and least developed countries, so that they fully benefit from opportunities arising from trade 
liberalization.  Clear and effective progress on Aid for Trade, therefore, remains an essential condition, but not a substitute, for the successful conc lusion of the Doha Round.  And in order to build 
synergies and ensure effective delivery, Nigeria believes that there should be more coordination 
between the collaborating agencies providing tec hnical assistance and capacity-building programmes 
to developing countries, both at the national and regional levels. 
7. In conclusion, let me reaffirm Nigeria's co mmitment to the principles and objectives of the 
multilateral trading system.  In that regard, allow me to use this opportunity to briefly highlight some 
of the key reforms that the present administration has undertaken, in order to address the challenges 
arising from many years of military misrule;  and to create a more conducive business environment.  
In particular, a long-term deve lopment framework - Vision 20:2020 aimed at making Nigeria one of 
the top 20 economies by year 2020 has been put in place.  The Vision 2020 is anchored on the Administration's 7 - Point Agenda and the Na tional Economic Empowerme nt and Development 
Strategy (NEEDS II), which is based on extensive st ructural reforms to promote a more diversified 
and rules-based market economy.  The co re elements of the reforms include, inter alia , privatization 
to ensure increased private sector participation in the economy while reducing the role of Government 
to that of a facilitator only;  achieving poverty re duction and human resource de velopment;  as well as 
promoting transparency and accountability, fiscal discipline and fighting corruption.  Nigeria, therefore, calls for increased collaboration between the WTO and other international organizations, in 
order to ensure coherence in global economic polic y-making, as well as secure the platform for the 
domestic policy reforms that would increase the country's benefits from participation in the 
international trading system. 
8. My delegation looks forward to working closely with other Members towards ensuring the 
successful conclusion of the DDA negotiations, includi ng the enthronement of a fair and equitable 
rules-based multilateral trading system.