Sule receives Angola’s Bengo Province governor, to deepen bilateral relations
Sule receives Angola’s Bengo Province governor, to deepen bilateral relations
Gov. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State on Monday received Dr Maria Nelumba, Governor of Bengo Province, Angola, on an official visit aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation in key sectors, including agriculture and education.
Sule received Nelumba alongside the Angolan Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr Jose Bamoquina-Zau, and other government officials in Lafia.
The governor said that the visit was a follow-up to an earlier visit by a Nasarawa State delegation to Angola in September, during which discussions were initiated on areas of mutual cooperation.
He explained that the Angolan delegation was in the state to finalise agreements reached during the September visit for onward implementation to the benefit of both Nasarawa State and Bengo Province.
Sule commended the Angolan Ambassador for his foresight and commitment to ensuring that the partnership yielded concrete outcomes.
He recalled that the September visit was undertaken at the instance of the Ministry of External Affairs to deepen the bilateral agreement earlier signed between President Bola Tinubu and Angolan President João Lourenço.
“Our visit in September was to ensure that the agreement does not remain on paper but is translated into tangible outcomes.
“We identified Bengo Province because of its similarities with Nasarawa State. Bengo has proximity to Luanda, the capital of Angola, just as Nasarawa is close to Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory,” Sule said.
He noted that both regions shared common strengths in agriculture, mineral resources and agro-processing, including fruits, vegetables and marble development.
The governor disclosed that the state government had secured approval from the Ministry of External Affairs to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Tuesday, Dec. 16.
According to him, the agreement aligns with his administration’s drive to internationalise the state’s economy and attract foreign direct investment.
Sule said the bilateral partnership was expected to boost economic growth, promote knowledge exchange and create opportunities for capacity-building and exchange programmes between the two regions.
In her remarks, Nelumba thanked the Nasarawa State Government for the warm reception accorded her delegation and expressed optimism that the agreement would be mutually beneficial.
She said members of the delegation included the Angolan Ambassador to Nigeria, the Director of the Integrated Development Cabinet of Bengo Province, the Director of Press, the Director of the Judicial Cabinet and other senior officials.
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Nelumba said that the agreement would strengthen cooperation between the governments and people of both countries and regions through experience-sharing and deeper engagement.
“We believe this cooperation will enhance people-to-people relations and contribute significantly to the development of our two regions,” she said.
She added that the delegation had the approval of the Angolan President to sign the agreement as a follow-up to the existing bilateral framework between Nigeria and Angola.
