Nigeria Assures Angola On Revived Joint Commission
The Nigerian government, on Thursday, facilitated a
landmark twinning agreement on socio-economic and cultural development between
Bayelsa State and Namibe, a province of Angola.
It also midwifed another economic cooperation deal
between Nasarawa State and the Angolan province of Bengo.
A press release by the Chief Press Secretary to the
Bayelsa State Governor, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, on Friday, stated that the
agreements on Sister-Cities development as well as bilateral cooperation
between Nigeria and Angola were part of activities of the three-day fifth
Nigeria-Angola Bilateral Joint Economic Commission meetings, which was revived
after 21 years, in Luanda, the capital city of Angola.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Bianca
Ojukwu, who led the Nigerian delegation, signed on behalf of the Federal
Government and the Angolan Secretary of State for International Cooperation,
Amb. Domingos Custodio Vieira Lopes, signed for his country.
Governor Douye Diri equally signed for Bayelsa while
his Namibe counterpart, Dr. Archer Mangueira, represented his province at the
ceremony.
The twinning agreement entails both Bayelsa and Namibe
cooperating on economic and environmental development, urban city management as
well as agricultural manpower training.
It also includes citizenship relations between local
communities, social and economic agents as well as cooperation on energy,
education, culture, tourism and sports development.
Addressing the media with his Namibe counterpart after
the signing ceremony, the Bayelsa governor, who described the agreement as
historic, said it marked the concretisation of a relationship that began early
this year when he first embarked on an exploratory visit to the coastal
province.
Governor Diri commended the Federal Government for
considering Bayelsa in the bilateral cooperation arrangement with Angola,
saying it would open new vistas for
economic growth and development of the state.
He noted that both states had commonalities in natural
resource endowment and that the cooperation would boost the economic potential
of the littoral states.
He said: “Signing this important agreement between our
two countries and two states is very historic for us from Bayelsa State, coming
at a time our host, Angola, was marking its 50th independence anniversary.
“I recall that early this year I was in Namibe and I
saw the level of natural endowments in that province. That also goes for
Bayelsa. Both states are naturally endowed and there is so much we can do that
would be mutually beneficial to us as states and our countries.”
Diri appreciated Mangueira for the hospitality during
his visit and the Angolan government for the warm reception accorded the
Nigerian delegation.
The Namibe governor also commended the government of
both countries for the twinning agreement, saying it was the beginning of a
milestone cooperation between the two states.
“This agreement provides an opportunity to establish
areas of comparative advantage. We have common geographical features as
Bayelsa. On behalf of the government and people of Namibe, I welcome this
agreement and my brother from Bayelsa.”
Earlier, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs,
Amb. Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and her Angolan counterpart, Amb. Lopes praised both
countries for resuscitating the joint commission.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu, while recalling the historic bonds
between Nigeria and Angola, dating back to 1975 when Angola became independent,
noted the significance of the joint commission.
She said: “This joint commission reaffirms the
friendly and cooperative ties between Nigeria and Angola as important partners.
As such, there is the need to continuously work together to realise the fullest
potential of our bilateral cooperation. Our long bilateral relations since the
establishment of the Nigerian diplomatic mission in Luanda in 1975 has brought
us to where we are today.
“Our meeting in the last three days was not only to
reflect on the state of our bilateral relations but also to identify new areas
of cooperation in keeping with our collective desire to enhance partnership for
a better future. We deserve to achieve sustainable economic growth, job
creation, people-to-people contact, and poverty reduction for our peoples.
“The joint commission between our two countries thus
provides a good framework to develop strategies with a view to strengthening
and broadening our bilateral relations. The signing of the three agreements,
including the historic twinning agreement Bayelsa State of Nigeria and the
Province of Namibe in Angola in areas of cooperation, not only signal our
collective desire to promote economic, political, cultural, social, educational
and scientific cooperation. It also marks a strategic partnership to boost economic
growth and create employment opportunities thus making a contribution in the
fight against poverty and underdevelopment in our two countries.”
The Foreign Affairs Minister said the contributions of
the delegates at the meeting were indicative of the resolve of the two
countries to effectively collaborate.
“We brought to the table 28 Memoranda of
Understanding, which various sub-committees carefully deliberated and will
continue to further deliberate upon. The long hours spent by our officials
underscore the seriousness and importance that the two delegations attached to
the subjects under consideration. I thank both sides for their sacrifices in
this regard.
“In negotiations, no side gets completely what it
wants or desires. Therefore, what we have in the document before us is a
measure of the shared responsibilities our two countries owe each other as we
move our relationship to the next level.
“Let me on behalf of the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria assure the Republic of Angola that we will deploy the necessary political will in implementation of the content of the document as it is in line with the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu. We also expect the same from the Republic of Angola to sustain the level of relationship in the interest of our two nations.”
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