Abuja — President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua has advocated for a mechanism for the implementation of G-8 decisions as they affect Africa, in order to enable the continent benefit from the laudable assistance being offered.

Yar'Adua was speaking to the German Minister for Development, Heidemarie Wiczoreck-Zeul, during consultations at the G-8 meeting in Heiligendamm, Germany, yesterday.

"We are happy with the decisions, but there is need for a mechanism for the implementation of these decisions. Previous commitments need to have a mechanism of implementation," he said.

The President also challenged the developed nations to invest in the improvement of the power and transportation sectors in the African continent. He said without this, all assistance and aid would not be meaningful, adding that power and transportation would help in the rapid eradication of poverty in the continent.

President Yar'Adua told the German Minister that he would launch a private sector-led micro finance scheme in Nigeria, to make capital available to the poor, at zero interest, and spoke about the need to create capacity, so that Africans could cater for themselves and free trade.

Speaking earlier, Ms Wiczoreck-Zeul had congratulated president Yar'Adua on his election and stated that her country would continue to cooperate with Nigeria on bilateral and multilateral issues.