These meetings were an opportunity to update Ambassadors on the increasing interest of African countries in the market-based principles of the Energy Charter and the importance of having Nigeria as one of the latest signatories. The technical assistance provided by the Secretariat needs to be boosted by the political and diplomatic support of Energy Charter member countries.

Dr Rusnák was accompanied by the Coordinator of regulatory and expansion activities Dr Ernesto Bonafé and Dr Monica Emmanuel, Nigeria & ECOWAS consultant, and had working meetings on 6 March at the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN) with Director General Professor Eli Jedere Bala and his senior staff. It was followed by a meeting at the Ministry of Science and Technology, with the Hon. Minister Dr Ogbonnaya Onu and senior officials of his Ministry. Nigeria is committed to the universal principles of good governance embodied in the International Energy Charter and is ready to translate them into better performance of the government’s energy policies. Both parties agreed on working together on a new flagship project, the National Energy Summit, which the ECN and the Secretariat will jointly define and implement in collaboration with relevant partner countries and organisations.