11:58 a.m. May 06, 1999 Eastern

LAGOS, May 6 (Reuters) - Ghana's President Jerry Rawlings arrived in Nigeria on Thursday on a two-day official visit, state radio said.

Radio Nigeria said Rawlings was travelling with his host, Nigerian leader General Abdulsalami Abubakar, to southeastern Akwa Ibom State.

``While in Akwa Ibom General Abubakar and his guest will inspect the multi-million naira aluminium smelter at Ikot Abasi,'' the radio said.

The visit is part of Abubakar's farewell tour of Nigeria ahead of May 29, when he is scheduled to step aside for President-elect General Olusegun Obasanjo, who won a democratic election ending years of military rule in Africa's most populous country of 108 million people.