A three time President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo on Tuesday said, he made 97 foreign trips during his tenure as president between 1999 and 2007.
\nHe said the trips were largely aimed at repairing the country\u2019s poor image, following years of brutal military regimes.
\nObasanjo was widely condemned for spending huge resources on frequent foreign trips but he said in a speech at Oxford University, Monday, that the trips brought significant economic benefits to the country.
\nHe said: \u201cI was elected as President of Nigeria in February of 1999 and was inaugurated as president in May 1999, when Nigeria was a pariah nation.
\n\u201cEvery where people had poor opinion about us. We were scorned at and viewed as a liability in the comity of nations.
\nThe situation demanded that I worked to stave off that perception. As a country under political transformation, I applied myself scrupulously to the task at hand.
\n\u201cFor the eight years that I served, I reached out to world leaders and continue to do so beyond my presidency. That was termed shuttle diplomacy in governance.
\n\u201cI travelled extensively, canvassing global understanding and our mainstreaming into the New World Order \u2013 not only for Nigeria, but for the whole of Africa. By the time I finished my two-terms, I had travelled to 97 countries.\u2019\u2019
\nNigerian economy witnessed growth under Obasanjo, compared to his successors. Nigeria\u2019s gross domestic product, which measures the goods produced and services rendered in a country, was estimated at $36 billion when Mr. Obasanjo assumed office in 1999.
\nBy 2007 when Obasanjo wrapped up his two terms, the GDP stood at $166.4 billion, according to the World Bank.
\nObasanjo was credited with implementing free market measures that opened up new sectors which contributed immensely to the country\u2019s overall economic progress during his tenure.
\nHowever, analysts say the economic performance was not a result of the former president\u2019s globetrotting.<\/p>\n
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A three time President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo on Tuesday said, he made 97 foreign trips during his tenure as president between 1999 and 2007. He said the trips were…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":13781,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[29,177,938,10489,585],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Obasanjo.jpg?fit=640%2C480&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":134918,"url":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/former-president-olusegun-obasanjo-celebrates-83rd-birthday\/","url_meta":{"origin":41802,"position":0},"title":"Former President Olusegun Obasanjo Celebrates 83rd Birthday","author":"Damilare Salami","date":"March 4, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"President Muhammadu Buhari has sent \u201cwarm greetings to former President Olusegun Obasanjo on his 83rd birthday, March 5, 2020, congratulating him for a life of courage, dedication and service to Nigeria, Africa, and humanity in general\u201d a state house statement has said. \u201cPresident Buhari joins family members, friends and associates\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Obasanjo, Buhari,","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Obasanjo-Buhari-Jonathan-Meeting.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Obasanjo-Buhari-Jonathan-Meeting.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Obasanjo-Buhari-Jonathan-Meeting.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Obasanjo-Buhari-Jonathan-Meeting.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":117176,"url":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/obasanjo-is-the-cause-of-nigerias-woes-falana\/","url_meta":{"origin":41802,"position":1},"title":"‘Obasanjo is the cause of Nigeria\u2019s woes’ \u2013 Falana","author":"Reporter","date":"April 24, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Human rights activist, Femi Falana (SAN), has said former President Olusegun Obasanjo\u2019s rejection of the Minority Report of the Constitutional Drafting Committee of 1976, co-authored by Drs. Segun Osoba and Yusufu Bala Usman, is one of the major causes of Nigeria\u2019s woes. He spoke at the public presentation of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Obasanjo, Buhari,","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Obasanjo-Buhari-Jonathan-Meeting.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Obasanjo-Buhari-Jonathan-Meeting.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Obasanjo-Buhari-Jonathan-Meeting.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Obasanjo-Buhari-Jonathan-Meeting.jpg?fit=800%2C533&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14794,"url":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/ex-president-obasanjo-grand-patron-kegites-club-gyrates-youths\/","url_meta":{"origin":41802,"position":2},"title":"Ex-President Obasanjo, the grand patron of Kegites Club, gyrates with youths","author":"Reporter","date":"April 17, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, the grand patron of Kegites Club was with his members celebrating the Easter season at his Presidential Library on Easter Sunday. Baba Obasanjo was seen rocking the palmwine-embedded Agbada along with the Kegite youths The Kegites club is a Nigerian popular socio-cultural club which\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/oba2.jpg?fit=400%2C225&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":144990,"url":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/obasanjo-is-nigerias-divider-in-chief-presidency\/","url_meta":{"origin":41802,"position":3},"title":"Obasanjo Is Nigeria’s \u201cDivider-in-Chief\u201d – Presidency","author":"Damilare Salami","date":"September 13, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"The Presidency wants former President Olusegun Obasanjo to help in proffering solutions to the problems plaguing the country instead of being Nigeria\u2019s \u201cdivider-in-Chief.\u201d While reacting to the recent outburst by Obasanjo that Nigeria is becoming a failed state, the Presidency in a statement on Sunday, called on him to quit\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Military, Buhari, Obasanjo, Atiku, El-Rufai,","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Buhari-Obasanjo.jpg?fit=650%2C360&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Buhari-Obasanjo.jpg?fit=650%2C360&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Buhari-Obasanjo.jpg?fit=650%2C360&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":113684,"url":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/obj-is-one-of-the-greatest-nigerians-alive-atiku-abubakar\/","url_meta":{"origin":41802,"position":4},"title":"OBJ is One of The Greatest Nigerians Alive – Atiku Abubakar","author":"Damilare Salami","date":"March 5, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has described ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo as one of the greatest Nigerians alive. 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