The Federal government, has 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 states 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 24 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.
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.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and her Angolan counterpart, Amb. Lopes had 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.
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.
