developing countries dUrinq the 1980s, suqgest that, contrary to what is commonly thought, poor domestic economic management is not the main culprit. The fact is that the external shocks of the 1980s have had a most harmful impact on many of our economies. Nigeria's pliqht is illustrative. Revenue from our oil sales fell from $25 billion in 1980 to $6 billion in 1986, ,a's a result of a sharp fall in oil I I prices. Our external debt rose ,,f'rom $3. 4 bill ion in 1978 to $30.7 billion in 1988, larqely because of a sharp rise in interest rates. The combined effect of these shocks has been a dramatic reduction in the 1 ivinq standards of the people of my country. Nigeria's Plight depicts broadly the economic difficulties faced by African countries. Africa's dismal develoPment performance is reflected in a ranqe of indicators. I should like to illustrate a few. Within the decade, six African JSM/td A/S-18/PV. 5 38 (Mr. Lukman, Niqeria) countries fell from the middle-income to the low-income cateqorv, and at the same time, the number of African countries classified as least developed increased from 17 to 28. Africa's debt rose from approximately $48 billion in 1978 to an estimated $250 billion in 1989, with a phenomenal qragth in debt-service obligations. The terms of trade of African countries, especially for primary commodities, on which most African countries depend for their foreiqn exchange earnings, deteriorated sharply in the past decade. Not surprisingly, Africa's per capita income and consumption levels fell dramatically. Dreary statistics cannot capture the misery and deprivations associated with them. Nonetheless, they convey the magnitude of the challenge. In Africa and other developing regions, the development challenges are many. The most pressing is the need to promote economic qrowth. Promotinq resumption of 
**Analysis**
The text appears to be a speech or statement from a Nigerian official, highlighting the economic difficulties faced by African countries in the 1980s. The main focus is on the impact of external shocks, such as a sharp fall in oil prices and a rise in interest rates, on the domestic economy. The text also mentions the decline in living standards, debt, and per capita income, which suggests that the category should be related to economic development and international trade.

**Category**
Economic development, International trade