Abuja — President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday enumerated the gains of United States President, Bill Clinton's three-day visit to Nigeria, moments after the American leader left Nigeria for Arusha, Tanzania.

At a press conference he addressed shortly after Airforce One, Clinton's official aircraft, lifted off the tarmac of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja at 8.30 a.m, Obasanjo said, Nigeria was now better exposed to the world following the US president's visit.

He said the nation also stood to derive immense economic benefits from the visit, pointing at the various bilateral agreements signed between Nigeria and the US. The agreements, he added, would be implemented soon.

Obasanjo said the exposure Nigeria had during the visit has several political and economic gains.

"Nigeria and the United States signed certain agreements and raised several issues which President Clinton promised that his administration will look into.We signed certain agreement which we will jointly implement .Take for instance the issue of visa which he promised to look at," he said.

Obasanjo said it was significant that Nigeria was able to extract a pledge from Clinton over complaints that Nigerians wishing to obtain American visa usually went through a hard time while a large percentage of them were denied eventually.

He said having had a first-hand experience of the situation in Nigeria and the country's rich potentials, Clinton was sure to go back to his country with a positive outlook of what Nigeria held in stock for prospective American investors.

Obasanjo pointed out that following the visit, Nigeria stood a chance of gaining immensely from America's advanced technology in several areas, especially agricultural production and crop improvement.

"Nigeria does not have to reinvent the wheel but there are varieties of crops such as maize and soya beans, that are native to us as they are native to them as well.We can take advantage of their research programmes."

Since Nigeria belonged to many international organisations to which the US also belonged and in which it wielded enormous influence, Obasanjo said, the rapport engendered between both countries during the visit would meant that anytime Nigeria had a specific interest to pursue in any of these organisations, it could lobby the US as friends and hope to receive sympathetic hearing.

On how Nigeria would benefit from the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act, Obasanjo said the country was putting its house in order to maximise the benefits accruable form the Act.

He said the federal executive council has set up a committee under the chairmanship of the Minister of Commerce, Alhaji Mustafa Bello, in this regard, pointing out that the committee has already filed an application to benefit from provisions of the Act.

'We have taken the first step which is for us to apply.We have applied .I believe that this visit is one event that will lead towards the strengthening of our democractic process . I am talking of the political gains," he said.

Obasanjo expressed appreciation to all Nigerians for the warm reception and hospitality they accorded to Clinton and members of his entourage.

"One lesson we can all draw from this is simple;that in this country we have all it takes .If we are united to work together we can lift this country up. We have to put all we have together for Nigeria to move forward socially,economically and poltically,'he added.

Adjudging the visit a successful one, he commended the planning committee headed by Vice President Atiku Abubakar and all the sub-committee members whom he said all took time to make the visit successful.

Clinton who departed the country yesterday for Arusha, Tanzania was received on arrival at the airport at 8 a.m. by Obasanjo and other top government officials.

No fewer than six cultural groups from different parts of the country were on hand to bid him farewell. A detachment of the Nigerian Army was also on parade although Clinton did not review the parade.

After being led to the podium where he stood with Obasanjo, the national anthems of both countries were rendered by the Army band. Clinton was thereafter honoured with a 21-gun salute after which he climbed down from the podium, held hands with Obasanjo as he made his way into his car which conveyed him to where Airforce One was parked.