Angola, Nigeria meet to update legal instruments on strategic partnership

Angola, Nigeria meet to update legal instruments on strategic partnership

Angola and Nigeria are set to meet in Luanda for the 5th session of the Angola-Nigeria Bilateral Joint Commission to review over 20 existing cooperation agreements and Memorandums of Understanding. The delegations are led by Angola’s Secretary of State for International Cooperation, Domingos Viera Lopes, and Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu.

The discussions will cover key sectors, including defense and security, cyber and digital diplomacy, economy and trade, judicial matters, culture, air and maritime transport, telecommunications, tourism, and visa exemptions. Angola’s Ambassador to Nigeria, José Bamóquina Zau, highlighted this meeting as a turning point for enhancing dynamic cooperation, particularly in free trade, visa and tax exemptions, extradition, and security in the Gulf of Guinea. He emphasized the potential for joint growth in hydrocarbons, petrochemicals, agribusiness, tourism, IT, innovation, and the blue economy, aiming to create jobs and boost businesses in both countries.

During the meeting, two Twinning Agreements will be signed between Angola’s Bengo and Namibe provinces and Nigeria’s Nasarawa and Bayelsa states, with governors participating. Additionally, Angola’s AIPEX and the Angola-Nigeria Business Council will work to strengthen private-sector economic partnerships and investments.

Trade between the two nations remains underdeveloped, with Angola exporting $5.6 million worth of goods to Nigeria and importing $16.8 million between 2020 and 2022, resulting in a negative trade balance of $11.2 million. Despite this, Nigerian investment intentions in Angola were estimated at $5 billion during the 2nd Business Forum held in Lagos in February 2024.

The Angola-Nigeria relationship dates back to Angola’s independence in 1975, with Nigeria playing a key supportive role in Angola’s political and economic development. Several high-level visits and cooperation agreements have historically strengthened ties. In October 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to enhancing bilateral cooperation and fully exploiting mutual potential.