Nigeria seeks foreign help in Niger Delta

ABUJA, Nigeria, June 1 (UPI) -- Nigeria's new president is looking to foreign consulting firms to help with persistent violence plaguing the Niger Delta.

President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua sent his vice president, Jonathan Goodluck, to the United States to meet with conflict resolution experts at a consulting firm in Boston, Nigeria's Guardian newspaper reported Friday.

The Niger Delta is home to the West African country's multi-billion dollar oil industry.

Numerous militant groups have attacked foreign oil installations in the delta, calling for a more equitable distribution of oil wealth.

Yar'Adua has promised to crackdown on militancy and tackle government corruption in the delta.