British Exchequer Chancellor (Finance Minister) Gordon Brown made the United Kingdom’s pledge to pay part of the debts while discussions are on with other countries to assist in the reduction.

He disclosed it in Abuja at the weekend in Abuja after President Olusegun Obasanjo had flagged off the mid-term assembly of heads of states and governments of the African Union (AU) with an appeal to African governments to embrace the upcoming reforms of the United Nations (UN).

About 40 heads of government are attending the meeting. UN Secretary General Kofi Anan is also present.

Before the parley, Obasanjo had handed over a $16 million (N2 billion) architectural edifice in Abuja for use as headquarters by UN agencies in the country.

The four storey building is a donation from Nigeria and one of the few UN Houses in Africa.

Annan said at the meeting on Sunday that he has recommended that in order to assist African countries meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), there is need for increased overseas development assistance which may require debt relief or reduction.

“Some governments are already working on this. As you have heard, Chancellor Gordon Brown has indicated that the UK Government is prepared to pay up or reduce to certain percentage of the debts owed by African countries. And there are discussions with other governments that are likely to do the same”, Annan stated.

The central focus of his discussions with African leaders is how to assist African countries achieve the MDGs.

Annan regretted that Africa is not yet on track in meeting the MDGs and called for a machinery to achieve the goals set for 2015.

In turn, Obasanjo asked for the assistance of the UN in securing debt relief for Nigeria as he disclosed that $2 billion would be saved by the country not servicing the debts, some of which he insisted would have been paid twice over.

Obasanjo pledged that his administration would continue to evolve policies that would ensure that Nigeria surpasses the MDGs target of reducing global poverty by 50 percent by 2015.

A committee has been set up in the Presidency to report on the implementation of the MDGs quarterly.

Looking ahead of next month's UN Assembly's consideration of a report on the reform of the UN Security Council, Obasanjo urged African countries to be forward looking on the reforms.

This meeting in Abuja is, and among other things, considering a common African position on the issue of the permanent seat of Security Council.

It will also review the implementation of decisions of the last summit in Addis Ababa; and keep track of the various conflict situations on the continent.

Obasanjo regretted the deterioration of the crises in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Cote D’Ivoire, but noted the progress being made in the peace effort in Sudan following the signing of the Nairobi peace deal.

He reported that HIV/AIDS remains with Africa despite the effort to eradicate it, thus neccesitating an urgent review of the strategies adopted at the last summit.