Nasarawa, Angolan Province To Strengthen Ties On Agric, Others

In a move aimed at strengthening bilateral ties with Nasarawa State, the Governor of Bengo Province of Angola, Dr Maria Antonio, has paid an official visit to the state.

Antonio, alongside Angolan Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr Jose Bamoquina-Zau, as well as other members of the team, were received in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, yesterday by Governor Abdullahi Sule.

At the event, Governor Sule said the gesture by the Angolan team led by Antonio was a reciprocation of an earlier visit by the state government’s delegation to the province last September.

Governor Sule said his visit to Angola was at the instance of President Bola Tinubu through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to strengthen the bilateral agreement that was signed earlier between both countries.

LEADERSHIP recalled that two agreements consisting of Cooperation on Combating Illicit production, Manufacture and Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and their precursors – Drug Law as well as on Cultural Cooperation and Exchange were signed during the September event which took place at the 5th Session of the Nigeria-Angola Bilateral Economic Joint Commission in Luanda.
Governor Sule said during the visit, the Nasarawa team took interest in Bengo Province because of its rich agricultural and solid mineral endowment which shares similarities with the state.

“Bengo Province has proximity to Luanda, the capital of Angola and has so much to do with agriculture, just like we have this proximity to Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory,” he explained.

According to him, the leadership of both sides decided on a common understanding to collaborate in certain areas of interests to boost economic growth, enhance knowledge sharing, and create opportunities for exchange programmes between the state and the province.

He noted that agreement on the areas of interest would be signed by both sides on December 16 following approval by the minister of foreign affairs.

On her part, Dr Antonio said her delegation has the approval of the Angolan President to sign the agreement as a follow-up to the bilateral agreement between the two countries.

“We think that this is the opportunity that we have to enforce cooperation between people and this will go a long way for the development of our two regions.

“We know that both delegations will work together to achieve these important goals and we wish that our cooperation from now on will be more profitable for the two countries and regions,” she stated.