ABUJA, Oct 11 (AFP) - A visiting Japanese trade delegation
Monday told Nigerian authorities that it was "immoral" for the west
African nation to request debt cancellation.
    "It is not morally right to ask for debt cancellation," the
leader of the 30-man delegation, Noboru Hatakeyama, told Nigerian
Finance Minister Adamu Ciroma during a meeting.
"As you called for a new era of morality in the administration
of your economy, the same moral consideration should be applied
to your debt issue," he said.
 Hatakeyama said that by all accounts, Nigeria, the seventh
largest oil producer, is not a poor country, and consequently,
should not ask for debt cancellation.
Nigeria's external debt is about 30 billion dollars.
Ciroma had argued that Nigeria was a developing nation and that
there should be a way for foreign creditors to lessen its burden.
 "If you don't want to cancel the debt, you could spread the
payment without increasing the debt profile. In the past, there were
negotiations but which increased our debts and increased our pain
rather than solving our problems," the minister said.
    The delegation comprises businessmen and experts in trade,
engineering, metals production, manufacturing and construction,
government officials and officials of the Japanese Bank for
International Cooperation.
  The team, which is on a three-day visit, arrived in Nigeria
 Sunday.



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