Bayelsa, Angola Advance Fisheries Aquaculture Partnership

Bayelsa State Governor , Senator Douye Diri hosted a high-level Angolan delegation on Wednesday, February 11, at the Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja, signaling a major push to implement a key 2025 agreement between Bayelsa and Angola’s Namibe Province.

Leading the delegation was His Excellency Dionisio Manuel Da Fonseca, Executive Minister of State and Head of the Civil House of Angolan President João Lourenço, accompanied by Angola’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr. José Bamoquina Zau.

According to a statement, the visit builds on a September 2025 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in Luanda, aiming to deepen ties in fisheries, aquaculture, marine economy, agriculture, tourism, trade, investment, and seaport opportunities.

Fonseca, speaking on behalf of President Lourenço—outgoing African Union Chairman stressed Angola’s gratitude for Nigeria’s historical support and commitment to mutual business gains.

“Bayelsa and Namibe have an agreement in place, and we want to work together to ensure implementation,” Fonseca said, highlighting the shared coastal profiles of both regions.

Governor Diri welcomed the move as a breakthrough for long-stalled Nigeria-Angola pacts, pledging Bayelsa’s full support.

He noted the natural synergies between the oil-rich, riverine Bayelsa and marine-endowed Namibe, drawing from his recent visit there and Angola’s 50th independence anniversary event in Abuja.

This partnership will unlock sustainable growth in aquaculture and fisheries, leveraging both sides’ endowments for trade and investment.