Nigeria

Excellencies,

It is wonderful to be here in Nigeria - my first visit to this country as Secretary-General.

As you know, I am here to learn more about your challenges and achievements in the field of public health - and specifically on women's and children's health.

But first, let me begin with a few words on the recent elections.

This was an important test for the country and the continent.

This year Africa will see more than 20 presidential elections.

Thank you, Mr. Foreign Minister, for your kind introduction. I would like to, first of all, thank President Goodluck Jonathan for his warm hospitality and leadership.

I have just attended this very important Presidential Committee on MDGs together with cabinet ministers and civil society representatives. This is a very important initiative and leadership.

I am deeply impressed by this new building. I know that you moved just two months ago. Congratulations!

I am also here to congratulate once again your people and your country and your President [Goodluck] Jonathan on the recent elections, the very successful elections. It is a testament of your matured democracy. All international monitoring groups have witnessed that this election was conducted in a transparent and credible manner. I sincerely hope that this will give very good momentum to further build upon this successful election.

I am deeply honoured to have this opportunity, this very rare opportunity for a Secretary-General to sit together with the President of any country and with his Presidential Committee on the MDGs.

What I can tell you at this time is that [when] I have any President of our United Nations membership, like President Jonathan, exercises such a strong political leadership and political commitment and places his policy priority on the MDGs, I think we can meet these targets.

Somewhere today, in Nigeria, a child is polio-free – a mother is nursing a healthy baby – a family is free of malaria – because a business or a civil society group decided to devote attention and resources to their health.

We are here tonight to celebrate these gains – and to explore how to scale them up – here in Nigeria and around the world.

I am delighted to see such high level representation here – from the private sector, from civil society – and from Government.

How una dey? [“How are you?”]

Yesterday, I recorded Maitama General Hospital and I am very please to visit the Dutse Makarante healh centre.

How una dey? [“How are you?”]

Thank you for your warm welcome.

I am honoured to be here at Maitama Hospital.

You are saving young mothers and their babies – and helping them look forward to a healthy future.

You are keeping others from getting sick – or helping them to get better when they are ill.

This has been a top priority for me since I became Secretary-General.

Healthy women – healthy mothers – healthy children – means healthy societies.

Health systems that work for women and children are health systems that work for all.

President Obasanjo, our gracious host,

President Eyadema, Chairman of the OAU,

Salim Salim, Secretary-General of the OAU,

Excellencies, my dear friends,

This is a conference about Africa's future.