Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, has
advocated economic cooperation between states in Africa.
Governor Diri said such cooperation would promote
African unity, boost the economies of the sub-nationals as well as reduce the
economic dependence on the Western world.
The Bayelsa governor stated this at the weekend during
a meeting with the Governor of the Province of Namibe in Angola, Mr. Archer
Mangueira.
He said Bayelsa and Namibe shared similarities as
coastal states bordering the Atlantic Ocean and that both states could benefit
from areas that they had comparative advantage.
Namibe has developed its marine economy to become the
fishery hub of Angola and the southern African sub-region, with discussions
between both leaders centred around exploring the opportunities of
collaboration in this sector.
Diri said: “We have discovered that relationship
between governments has not been very cordial across the continent of Africa.
We rather prefer to value our relationship with Europe and Asia.
“Among presidents and governors, we have not related
so well and I think that this kind of visit will address such relationship
within us in Africa, particularly between states and countries.
“Bayelsa has a whole lot of similarities with Namibe.
Like your province, Bayelsa borders the Atlantic Ocean except that Namibe has
low lands with a dual advantage of the Atlantic Ocean and the desert.
“Bayelsa is at the heart of the Niger Delta, which is
the oil-producing region of Nigeria, and like Namibe, it is also in the
southern flank of our country. The state is very rich in oil and gas, and, in
fact, it is richer in gas than oil.
“Like Namibe, we are also interested in fisheries
because of our aquatic location and having the longest coastline in Nigeria,
which has remained largely untapped and undeveloped. So, as we speak, our
government is constructing roads to hit the Atlantic Ocean on three fronts in
order for us to actually explore the ocean as you have done in Namibe. From
what we have seen, we can collaborate in fisheries, which is one area you can
explore beyond Bayelsa.
“I have also seen that there is a developed and
functiona seaport here. We are trying to develop a deep seaport at a place
called Agge, and we are looking out for investors that have the potential and
resources to actualise this. So we are interested in collaborating with you on
that.
“Also in agriculture, our land is very fertile for the
cultivation of rice, plantain, cassava, bananas, potatoes and vegetables. We
recently established a relationship with the South Korean Government, which has
donated equipment to our state for mechanised farming.
“I believe that there many areas we can collaborate.
Where you have comparative advantage, you produce, and where we have
comparative advantage, we also produce.
“From our meeting, I'm aware that Namibe is also a
potentially oil producing state. So, areas of collaboration include fisheries,
agriculture, culture, tourism and potentially oil and gas.
“This meeting should be an eye opener for African
countries and states. There is need to have this kind of bilateral relationship
between states in Africa.”
Governor Diri thanked his host, Archer Mangueira, and
his Vice-Governors, Ema Samali Henriques da Silva and Abel do Rosário
Kapitango, for the warm reception accorded him and his delegation, saying it
epitomised the true spirit of African brotherhood.
In his remarks, Governor of the Namibe Province,
Archer Mangueira, said he was excited about the visit and the prospects for
collaboration and investments.
Describing Namibe as the Land of Happiness, Mangueira
noted that there was a lot to learn and benefit from a huge country like
Nigeria.
He said although the province grapples with erosion
challenges, it was focusing on its tourism sector for economic development of
the region.
“We also have a very rich ecological biodiversity and
a desert that is considered the oldest in the world. We have had potential in
the fishery industry since the colonial era. Unfortunately, we do not have the
level of funding that we had previously. Nevertheless, it remains one of the
most important sectors for our socio-economic development.
“The oil industry also holds a lot of potential and we
look forward to your expertise and support. We equally have the mining sector apart from oil. At the moment,
we are exploring the mining sector for marble and granite production.
“This year, we are looking at complete the
modernisation of our seaport to make it possible for export of our minerals.
“We look forward to the expertise of Nigeria and learn
how it developed its mining sector. We are privileged to be in an area that is
abundant in many minerals. So, there is a lot of potential to invest.
“We would like to learn from Nigeria's experience
regarding the use of pesticides and the treatment of agricultural products. We
are open to partnerships with Nigeria to develop our agricultural sector in
Angola, cultivating crops like watermelons, bananas, and mangoes.
“We believe that cooperation between our countries is
key to advancing towards development. Mutual cooperation can be an effective
way to overcome underdevelopment.
“It is important to emphasise that, in forming
partnerships, we should also seek investments in the financial sector. There
are already movements in this direction in Angola, with the presence of banks
and ongoing negotiations. South-South cooperation should be prioritised as
should agricultural development initiatives.
“I firmly believe that the future of African
development is intrinsically linked to the strengthening of the agricultural
sector in our countries. Thus, I accept the governor's invitation for us to
work together to build an agenda that is not limited to meetings but results in
concrete actions that benefit our regions and strengthen our relations.”
Governor Diri was accompanied by a member of the House of Assembly, Hon. Ebizi Brown, the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Nimibofa Ayawei, and the Deputy Chief of Staff, Government House, Mr. Iroro Komonibo.
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