Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, the acting president of Nigeria, has welcomed French oil major Total's decision to invest a further $20 billion in the country's oil and gas industry.

This Day reports that Mr Jonathan met Total's group president Yves Louis Darricarrere at the state house in Abuja to discuss the new investment, which will help to initiate a new production partnership with neighbouring Uganda.

The Ugandan minister for mineral development also pledged a commitment to developing oil and gas training initiatives with Nigeria to support it on the path to becoming an oil-producing nation.

"We also want other companies from Nigeria to venture into other business areas in Uganda. African countries must see themselves cooperating in many areas of business opportunities," he added.

The new investment may be particularly welcomed by Nigeria after the announcement that Shell will be scaling back its operations in the country as part of a wider cost consolidation drive.

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