Speaking to reporters after a meeting with Mozambican Prime Minister Luisa Diogo, she said that 15 years after the war of destabilization, that ended in 1992, Mozambique has managed to design macroeconomic policies and other reforms that stabilized the country's economy and improved its people's living conditions.
"Mozambique is a special country. We congratulate its efforts to fight against poverty', she said.
Ezkwesili also stressed the need to use the country's natural resources, such as coal, gas, and timber, appropriately in the fight against poverty.
She is visiting Mozambique to take part in a four day meeting on replenishing the funds of the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank body that makes soft loans to developing countries.
In this meeting, due to last until Sunday, donors will discuss the fifteenth IDA replenishment. About 50 per cent of all IDA funding goes to Africa.
Diogo told reporters that the fact that this meeting is being held in Maputo will contribute to Mozambique being seen as a reference point. She said the choice of venue took into account the country's political and economic stability, its leadership, and the efficiency of the aid programmes implemented here.
"Mozambique has been with the World Bank for the past 23 years and there has not been a single interruption", said Diogo.
"Normally, other countries have programmes with the World Bank, break them off and then start again. This has never happened with Mozambique".
"Our programmes were developed under conditions of war and of peace", she added. "Naturally, in peace time the results are much more visible".
As for her discussions with Ezekwesili, she said they talked about the use of natural resources, "and we were listening to the experience of someone who undertook profound reforms in the petroleum sector in Nigeria. She did this with success and transparency, and so we have to learn from her".
Ezekwesili was a special advisor on budgetary matters to former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, and chaired the Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. She was also a founder member, and later director for Africa, of the anti-corruption NGO, Transparency International.
SOURCE: AIM
