Bayelsa Strengthens Angola Ties, Strikes To Activate MoU With Namibe Province
Bayelsa State has stepped up efforts to strengthen {economic} and diplomatic ties with Angola, because it strikes to implement a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with Namibe Province throughout the renewed Nigeria–Angola Bilateral Fee.
The partnership, which started with an exploratory go to to the Angolan coastal province of Namibe, has now entered an implementation part with each side expressing dedication to translating agreements into tangible {economic} outcomes.
Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Duoye Diri, stated the connection between Bayelsa and Namibe was constructed on shared {economic} traits and strategic pursuits.
Diri spoke whereas receiving a delegation from Angolan President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, led by Minister of State and Chief of the Civil Home of the President of the Republic of Angola, Dionísio Manuel da Fonseca, at Bayelsa Home in Abuja, on Wednesday.
The delegation included senior Angolan authorities officers and funding representatives.
Diri defined that the primary go to to Namibe was exploratory, geared toward figuring out areas of mutual curiosity.
Namibe, like Bayelsa, is a coastal area with robust potential in aquaculture, fisheries, marine companies, and different blue economic system sectors.
“Namibe is a coastal province like Bayelsa. We’ve got rather a lot in widespread by way of marine sources, fisheries and pure endowments. That knowledgeable our resolution to foster nearer cooperation,” the governor stated.
He said the second engagement coincided with the Nigeria–Angola Bilateral Fee assembly — the primary in over twenty years, the final having been held in 2005. The high-level assembly was attended by Nigeria’s Minister of State for Overseas Affairs, federal authorities officers, Yusuf Tuggar, and representatives of subnational governments, together with Nasarawa State.
It was throughout the session that Bayelsa State formally signed an MoU with Namibe Province, focusing broadly on {economic} growth in sectors the place each side have comparative benefits. Nasarawa State additionally signed a separate Bargain with one other Angolan province.
The governor said that though Nigeria and Angola had signed practically 30 agreements through the years, many weren’t totally applied. He described the renewed bilateral engagement as a deliberate effort to reverse the pattern.
He said, “What makes this engagement totally different is the emphasis on implementation. Many agreements have been signed prior to now however weren’t executed.
“This go to is a continuation of that renewed dedication to make sure that what now we have signed doesn’t stay on paper.”
He recommended the Angolan Ambassador to Nigeria, Jose Bamoquina Zau, who was a part of the visiting group, for working diligently to maintain relations between each international locations.
Diri acknowledged the function of the Nigerian management in facilitating the revival of the bilateral fee.
The governor additionally disclosed {that a} deliberate reciprocal go to by Governor of Namibe Province had been postponed because of unexpected circumstances, together with the sudden lack of his deputy governor final 12 months. He, nevertheless, expressed optimism that the go to would happen quickly.
“We look ahead to internet hosting the Namibe governor in Bayelsa in order that we are able to additional consolidate this partnership. Stronger ties between our states and provinces will finally strengthen relations between Nigeria and Angola,” Diri stated.
The Bayelsa–Namibe cooperation displays a rising pattern of subnational diplomacy geared toward boosting intra-African commerce, attracting funding, and unlocking the {economic} potential of the continent’s coastal and resource-rich areas.
With each side signalling readiness to maneuver past ceremonial agreements, the partnership is anticipated to concentrate on sensible collaboration in fisheries growth, aquaculture enlargement, marine infrastructure and broader {economic} alternate, positioning Bayelsa and Namibe as strategic gateways for enhanced South–South cooperation.
Michael Olugbode
Times Nigeria