The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to meeting the September deadline for hosting the $5 billion African Energy Bank.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri made this declaration during a meeting with Omar Farouk Ibrahim, Secretary General of the African Petroleum Producers Organisation (APPO).

Lokpobiri assured that Nigeria would provide a suitable headquarters for the bank and fulfil its subscription obligations before the end of September."

While thanking Mr Ibrahim for being a good ambassador of Nigeria, he insisted that Nigeria won the hosting right for the bank fair and square.

"We are working day and night to ensure that we meet the September ending deadline. And we believe that we will be able to meet the deadline. Even if we do not meet the deadline, the whole of Africa will see that, look, everything is almost in place. And the bank can start.

"The issues raised, which are the host country agreement, the headquarters building, and then the balance of the subscription. These three issues are issues that we are working very seriously to fulfil before the end of September so that the bank can start", he stated.

Earlier, Ibrahim noted that it was important that Nigeria meets obligations and commitments to the host bank to justify the effort in bringing the bank's headquarters to the country.

He said: "I want to appeal to you and to the government to do everything you can to conform with what you have promised APPO, a promise that informed the decision to give Nigeria the hosting right.

"Everybody is looking up to Nigeria. Ministers of other countries are asking me when are you moving? When are we starting? As I am here today, I want to appeal to you to help us to keep the Nigerian name flying.

"There are two issues. One is the host country agreement. The second is the headquarters and preparing it.

"The third is to make up the difference between what Nigeria pledged (subscription) and what Nigeria has paid so far".