Nigeria and Angola have revived their Bilateral Joint Economic Commission after a 24-year hiatus, sealing fresh agreements to boost socio-economic, cultural, and political cooperation.
The three-day meeting in Luanda was co-chaired by Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and Angola’s Secretary of State for International Cooperation, Amb. Domingos Custodio Vieira Lopes.
Among the highlights was a landmark twinning pact between Bayelsa State and Angola’s Namibe Province, covering areas such as energy, agriculture, environment, education, culture, tourism, and sports. A similar deal was also struck between Nasarawa State and Bengo Province.
Bayelsa Governor Senator Douye Diri hailed the agreement as “historic,” noting its potential to unlock new opportunities:
“Both Bayelsa and Namibe are naturally endowed, and this partnership will bring mutual benefits to our states and nations.”
Namibe Governor Dr. Archer Mangueira described the pact as the beginning of “milestone cooperation,” citing shared geographical and economic strengths.
Speaking earlier, Amb. Odumegwu-Ojukwu emphasised the significance of reviving the joint commission, recalling Nigeria’s longstanding ties with Angola since its independence in 1975.
“This joint commission reaffirms our friendly relations and identifies new areas of cooperation for sustainable economic growth, job creation, and poverty reduction,” she said.
The minister revealed that 28 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) were tabled, stressing that the final document reflected “shared responsibilities” of both nations.
She assured that Nigeria would show the necessary political will to implement the agreements in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, while urging Angola to do the same.
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