Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, and Dr. Maria Antonio, Governor of Bengo Province, Angola
Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, has hosted Dr. Maria Antonio, Governor of Bengo Province, Angola, on Monday in Lafia, aiming to strengthen bilateral ties in agriculture, education, and more.
The visit follows a September trip by Nasarawa’s delegation to Angola, with this return visit seeking to finalize agreements for mutual benefit.
At the event, Governor Sule welcomed Antonio, Angola’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr. Jose Bamoquina-Zau, and their team, praising the Ambassador’s efforts to make this partnership real.
Governor Sule said, “We visited Angola in September to breathe life into the bilateral agreement signed by our presidents, Bola Tinubu and João Lourenço. We picked Bengo Province for its similarities with Nasarawa—proximity to a capital city and rich agriculture. We saw potential in fruits, veggies, minerals, marble… lots of parallels with Nasarawa.”
The governor announced that the Ministry of External Affairs has approved signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Tuesday, Dec. 16, part of efforts to internationalize Nasarawa’s economy and attract investment.
“This agreement aims to boost growth, share knowledge, and create exchange opportunities,” Governor Sule added.
In response, Governor Antonio thanked Nasarawa for the warm reception, expressing optimism about the benefits for both regions. She said:
“We see this as an opportunity to enforce cooperation between people, driving development in our two regions. Both teams will work together to achieve these goals, making our cooperation profitable for both countries.”
Antonio noted her team, including the Angola Ambassador and directors from Bengo, have the Angolan President’s approval to sign the agreement, building on the countries’ bilateral pact.
