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Mr. President, it's a great honor for all of us to be here. I wish
that my wife could come, and your remarks indicated you understand why
she could not. But I am grateful for her interest in Africa as well, and
especially in the Vital Voices program that so many Nigerian women have
been a part of.
We meet at a pivotal moment in your history. The long-deferred
dreams of your people finally can and must be realized. I spoke about it
in detail to the members of the Senate and House today. I will only
repeat that it is a daunting challenge, requiring both rigorous effort
and realistic patience.
Nigeria is poised to do great things for its own people and for
Africa's democratic destiny. We in the United States have long known
Nigeria as an economic partner and an important supplier of energy. But
now, more than ever, we and others throughout the world will know and
honor Nigeria for its greatest energy resource, the people of this great
nation.
We have come to appreciate it in many ways: the musical genius of
King Sunny Ade; the brilliant writing of Chinua Achebe; and your Nobel
laureate Wole Soyinka. We also think rather highly of the basketball
feats of Hakeem Olajuwon. And we're coming more and more to appreciate
the football brilliance of the Super Eagles. Indeed, every 4 years a
growing number of people in the United States actually cheer for the
Super Eagles in the World Cup. After all, the eagle is America's
national bird, too. [Laughter] And more importantly, tens of thousands
of Nigerians work and study in the United States, and we are honored to
have them.
I was quite interested, Mr. President, in the presentation before
your remarks showing all the similarities between you and me. I would
also like a copy of that. [Laughter] I don't know if I could persuade
people back home with a case without all that evidence.
For all our differences, even in a larger sense, we are not so
different after all. Our Capital--Washington, DC--like yours here, was
created as a compromise between North and South. Though I must say, ours
took much longer to become a respectable city. And as I saw today when I
addressed your legislative branch, your Government, like ours, often
displays what might charitably be called a creative tension between its
different branches. [Laughter] Finally, our greatest
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strength, like yours, comes from the fact that we are many peoples
striving to work as one.
Mr. President, the hope we celebrate this evening owes much to you,
for you have twice answered the call to restore civilian government. The
United States will stand by a nation, any nation, and especially
Nigeria, that faces its responsibility as bravely as the people of this
nation have in the last few years.
We outlined today our commitments, and we will keep them, to help
you economically, educationally, in the struggles against AIDS and other
public health problems and the struggle to rebuild your infrastructure
in our common cause to restore peace in Sierra Leone and to support
Nigeria as a leader for peace throughout the continent. And we look
forward to fulfilling those commitments.
I listened again to the case you made tonight, a case that I also
heard from your legislative leaders this afternoon and first in our
meeting this morning and, of course even earlier when you and I first
met. I will do my best to help Nigeria succeed economically. You must do
so.
When Nigeria became independent in late 1960, almost 40 years ago
now, the American people were also quite happy, because it was a time of
great hope for us at home and around the world. We felt it in the new
beginnings of President Kennedy's election and the progress of the civil
rights struggle in our own country and with the crumbling of colonialism
here and around the world.
We were proud that some of your early independence leaders, like
Nnamdi Azikiwe, studied in America. In 1959 this is what he told an
American audience. He said, ``We struggle toward the same ultimate
objective: to revive the stature of man so that man's inhumanity to man
shall cease. Your success shall be our success, and your failure shall
be our failure.''
Since he said those words to Americans, there have been great
achievements and profound setbacks in both our nations. But those words
are as true today as they were when they were spoken. And today, we have
the best chance since the early 1960's to make them come true.
And so tonight Mr. President and all our distinguished Nigerian
friends, let me repeat your hero's words back to you: Now and forever,
your success shall be our success.
I ask you to join me in a toast to the President of Nigeria and to
the people of Nigeria, to the success of the democratic experiment here,
to the friendship between our peoples, and to our common commitment to
seize the future together.
[At this point, the President offered a toast.]
Note: The President spoke at approximately 8:30 p.m. at the
International Conference Center. In his remarks, he referred to
President Mamadou Tandja of Niger. The transcript released by the Office
of the Press Secretary also included the remarks of President Olusegun
Obasanjo. A tape was not available for verification of the content of
these remarks.
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Monday, September 4, 2000
Volume 36--Number 35
Pages 1941-1995
Week Ending Friday, September 1, 2000
Letter to Congressional Leaders on the Addition of Nigeria Under the
Generalized System of Preferences
August 24, 2000
Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:)
I am writing to inform you of my intent to add Nigeria to the list
of beneficiary developing countries under the Generalized System of
Preferences (GSP). The GSP program, which offers duty-free access to the
U.S. market, was originally authorized by the Trade Act of 1974.
I have carefully considered the criteria identified in sections 501
and 502 of the Trade Act of 1974. In light of these criteria, I have
determined that it is appropriate to extend GSP benefits to Nigeria.
This notice is submitted in accordance with section 502(f)(1) of the
Trade Act of 1974.
Sincerely,
William J. Clinton
Note: Identical letters were sent to J. Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the
House of Representatives, and Albert Gore, Jr., President of the Senate.
This letter was released by the Office of the Press Secretary on August
27.
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[Page 1956]
Monday, September 4, 2000
Volume 36--Number 35
Pages 1941-1995
Week Ending Friday, September 1, 2000
Proclamation 7335--To Modify Duty-Free Treatment Under the Generalized
System of Preferences
August 27, 2000
By the President of the United States
of America
A Proclamation
1. Pursuant to sections 501 and 502 of the Trade Act of 1974, as
amended (the ``1974 Act'') (19 U.S.C. 2461 and 2462), the President is
authorized to designate countries as beneficiary developing countries
for purposes of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP).
2. Pursuant to sections 501 and 502 of the 1974 Act, and having due
regard for the eligibility criteria set forth therein, I have determined
that it is appropriate to designate Nigeria as a beneficiary developing
country for purposes of the GSP.
3. Section 604 of the 1974 Act (19 U.S.C. 2483) authorizes the
President to embody in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United
States (HTS) the substance of the relevant provisions of that Act, and
of other acts affecting import treatment, and actions thereunder,
including the removal, modification, continuance, or imposition of any
rate of duty or other import restriction.
Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United
States of America, acting under the authority vested in me by the
Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including but
not limited to title V and section 604 of the 1974 Act, do proclaim
that:
(1) In order to reflect in the HTS the addition of Nigeria as a
beneficiary country under the GSP, general note 4(a) to the HTS is
modified by adding ``Nigeria'' to the list of independent countries,
effective with respect to articles entered, or withdrawn from warehouse
for consumption, on or after the date of signature of this proclamation.
(2) Any provisions of previous proclamations and Executive Orders
that are inconsistent with the actions taken in this proclamation are
superseded to the extent of such inconsistency.
In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-seventh
day of August, in the year of our Lord two thousand, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-
fifth.
William J. Clinton
[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 12:04 p.m., August 29,
2000]
Note: This proclamation was published in the Federal Register on August
30.
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Monday, September 4, 2000
Volume 36--Number 35
Pages 1941-1995
Week Ending Friday, September 1, 2000
Letter to Congressional Leaders Transmitting an Amendment of the
Generalized System of Preferences
August 27, 2000
Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:)
I hereby transmit a Proclamation in which I have determined that it
is appropriate to grant preferential treatment for Nigeria as a
beneficiary developing country under the Generalized System of
Preferences (GSP). GSP benefits must be granted to Nigeria before that
nation can receive further trade benefits under the Africa Growth and
Opportunity Act (Public Law 106-200).
Sincerely,
William J. Clinton
Note: Identical letters were sent to J. Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the
House of Representatives, and Albert Gore, Jr., President of the Senate.
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Monday, September 4, 2000
Volume 36--Number 35
Pages 1941-1995
Week Ending Friday, September 1, 2000
Remarks to the Community in Ushafa, Nigeria
August 27, 2000
Well, thank you very much. Let me say, first of all, I want to thank
your chief for making me feel so welcome, and all the elected officials.
I want to thank the people who danced for us and played for us. They
were very good, yes? [Applause] And I want to thank all those who made
the gifts you gave me and my daughter and our family. And I want to
thank the schoolchildren who walked down here with me and sang the
beautiful songs.
I came to Nigeria to express the support of the people of the United
States. We support your democracy. We want to help you build your
economy, educate your children,
[[Page 1957]]
and build a better life in all the villages of this country.
Thank you very, very much.
Note: The President spoke at 11:25 a.m. in the main market square. In
his remarks, he referred to Chief Alhaji Mohammadu Baba of Ushafa
Village. A tape was not available for verification of the content of
these remarks.
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[Page 1957-1959]
Monday, September 4, 2000
Volume 36--Number 35
Pages 1941-1995
Week Ending Friday, September 1, 2000
Remarks to Health Care Providers in Abuja, Nigeria
August 27, 2000
Thank you very much. Mr. President, John, and Tayo, thank you very
much. I would also like to acknowledge the presence here of the Minister
of Women's Affairs Ismail; Dr. Agary, the director of the center; Dr.
Resemane, who came to the White House last year and spoke movingly about
her battle for women's health. I want to thank the members of the
American delegation, and especially the Members of Congress, for joining
us here, and say that I am particularly honored to be welcome by John
Ibekwe because he is the leader of the Network for People Living With
AIDS. That is--they have brought a lot of help and hope to Nigeria.
And let me say I want to thank Tayo again for telling us her story
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