US backs Nigerian debt relief

The United States treasury secretary, Lawrence Summers, has promised to support international debt relief for Nigeria.

Mr Summers was speaking in Nigeria at the start of an African tour aimed at promoting free-market reform.

He said debt relief was conditional on Nigeria making significant progress on economic and financial reform.

Nigeria's debt is estimated at thirty billion dollars.

Mr Summers was speaking after talks with President Olusegun Obasanjo and senior officials. The Nigerian government's reforms are aimed at securing loans from the International Monetary Fund worth about one-billion dollars.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service