Obasanjo factor begins to pay off. (Nigeria).(President Olusegun Obasanio )

In this special report. we look for signs of economic progress as Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanio nears the end of his first term. Although nobody could have realistically expected the new government to solve all the country's problems so quickly, have there been any positive developments? Neil Ford examines the various sectors of the economy in arriving at a term report.

It seems odd, but in theory at least, President Olusegun Obasanjo's first term of office could come to an end early next year when elections are held. Perhaps it is because so much remains to be achieved, or possibly it is the fact that Nigeria has a four year Presidential term of office, that makes it feel as if he is still settling into the post.

The optimism and hopes that were generated by his election victory on May 29 1999 have not been destroyed but have been replaced with a reluctant realism that things will not be turned around overnight. The Nigeria economy was in such a mess when he took over that one term of office could do little but scratch the surface of the nation's problems.

While Britain's Prime Minister, Tony Blair, can argue that his government needs a decade to turn around years of under-investment in the country's National Health Service or even longer to sort out the railway system, who would claim that Obasanjo could turn the Nigerian economy around inside four years?

Sovereignty intact

While the President has had his critics, the richest nations on earth have not been among them. And for good reason, because there have been a number of notable successes. Despite the continued ethnic, religious and regional divisions which gnaw at the fabric of the state, Nigeria remains sovereignty intact - not a mean feat given its history. Oil production continues to rise and the government s target of 4m barrels a day does not seem the pipedream it once was. …