Diri Urges Stronger African Economic Unity

Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State has advocated stronger economic cooperation among states in Africa to reduce dependence on Europe and America

Diri 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 the 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 relationships 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 lowlands 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 functional 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 are many areas where 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 a 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 to 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.

Diri Urges Stronger African Economic Unity is first published on The Whistler Newspaper