Foreign Relations of the United States, 1977–1980, Volume XVII, Part 2, Sub-Saharan Africa

65. Telegram From the Embassy in Nigeria to the Department of State¹

Lagos, July 23, 1980, 0005Z

7873. Pass White House. Subject: Vice President Mondale’s Meeting With President Shagari.

1. Confidential–Entire text.

2. Vice President Mondale met with President Shagari for about a half an hour on Tuesday morning, July 22. The initial welcome by President Shagari and response by the Vice President were attended by the press and the Vice President’s party. Following this the press and non-official members of the party withdrew.

3. The Vice President passed on to President Shagari President Carter’s warm regards and delivered the personal letter from him.² He told President Shagari that President Carter would be delighted to meet with him in early October when President Shagari was visiting the UNGA. Because of President Carter’s busy campaign schedule it was difficult to tie down an exact time but this could be worked out by the ambassadors.

4. President Shagari again welcomed the Vice President noting this obvious further demonstration of U.S. interest in Nigeria following President Carter’s visit in 1978.³ He said he understood and appreciated American support for Nigeria’s democratic constitutional development and was pleased with the evident seriousness with which we were approaching the economic talks.

5. The President said that the Nigerian people needed some clear-cut identification of America with its development progress. The British and Europeans and Japanese were associated with the country’s industrial development. The Soviets had undertaken to assist with its steel industry. Nigeria is determined to do something about agriculture and the President said he believed the U.S. should devote its efforts to that sector. The second area of involvement should be energy development. He would like to see the U.S. make an impact in the oil and petrochemical industry so that Americans could be clearly identified with this sector.

6. The President said that he would also like to see Americans associated with Nigerian constitutional development. The country is still experimenting with its structure. If it succeeds it will set an example towards which the rest of Africa will look.

7. The Vice President responded that America was thrilled by the restoration of democracy in Nigeria, and particularly impressed that it had chosen a constitutional structure similar in many ways to our own. He assured the President of our immediate response if there was any way in which we could be helpful in this regard.

8. As to the bilateral talks the Vice President said he had brought a high-level delegation of men and women who were capable of making decisions on the spot and wanted to see concrete results. The Vice President said we fully support the priority which Nigeria gives to agriculture. If oil is its biggest asset, its dependence on foreign agriculture is its greatest liability. Farmers are the most stable element of society. The Vice President noted that he had brought Undersecretary Hathaway with him for discussions on agriculture and that we are prepared to sign a memorandum of understanding which covered detailed areas of cooperation. He described some of the areas. On energy, Undersecretary Sawhill was prepared to contribute to the success of the meeting. We had no disagreement on any of this. The President agreed that there were no disagreements; we just needed accomplishments.

9. The Vice President then reviewed his written list of projects we are preparing. He mentioned soil conservation, trade and development and our interest in science and technology. Here he noted that President Carter wanted to send his science advisor, Frank Press, and a group of our leading scientists to Nigeria in September to discuss cooperation in that area. He noted student exchanges in education and pledged that we would try to do a better job in getting rid of unnecessary obstacles. We are hoping for instance to be able to permit Nigerian students to obtain multiple entry visas.

10. The President said he was impressed with this very concrete list of proposals and acknowledged that the ball was in the Nigerians court to respond to them; a challenge which Foreign Minister Audu said would be met.⁴

Low

1. Source: Carter Library, Donated Material, Mondale Papers, Box 36, Vice President’s Visit to West Africa [7/17/80–7/23/80] Background—Memcons and Speeches [2]. Confidential; Immediate; Exdis.
2. In the July 12 letter to Shagari, Carter emphasized the importance of bilateral talks and Mondale’s visit. (Carter Library, Donated Material, Mondale Papers, Box 37, Vice-President’s Visit to West Africa [7/17/80–7/23/80] Nigeria, President’s Letter [to President Shagari])
3. See Document 33.
4. For the Joint Communiqué signed in Lagos by Mondale and Nigerian Vice President Ekwueme on July 23, see Deparment of State Bulletin, September 1980, pp. 13–14.