BY Samuel  Oyadongha

Yenagoa—President Goodluck Jonathan has called on African countries  to close rank and formulate policies that will attract critical investments to the continent.

This, he said,  will bolster the economies of the individual countries in the continent and promote stronger socio- political ties among African countries.

President Jonathan, in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to Bayelsa State Governor, Mr.  Daniel Iworiso-Markson, at the formal opening of the African regional office of Bayelsa Development and Investment Corporation, BDIC, in Johannesburg, South Africa, commended the decision of Bayelsa State Government to establish BDIC, noting that it will attract a lot of good things to the state and the country as a whole.

The  President, represented by the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, however,  urged the Bayelsa State governor to put performance indicators in place to regularly monitor and measure the level of success as well as justify the establishment of the African regional office in Johannesburg.

President Jonathan explained that the transformation agenda of the Federal Government has already initiated programmes to diversify the economy of the country and create jobs for its teeming youths.

He said: “Apart from the nation’s film industry,  which had created so many job opportunities for the youths, because of its growing status as the third largest of its kind in the world, government is making investments in critical areas of the economy, such as agriculture, housing as well as developing the solid mineral sector of the economy, among others.”

Also, speaking, South African President, Mr Jacob Zuma,  represented by the country’s Deputy Minister of Economic Development, Prof Hlengiwe Mkhize, expressed satisfaction with the existing political and economic ties between South Africa and Nigeria, noting the two countries have the potential to provide economic leadership for Africa.