LUANDA, Sept 16 (AGCNewsNet) – Nigeria and Angola have signed two major agreements aimed at tackling illicit drug production and trafficking, while also expanding cooperation in culture, education, and socio-economic development.

Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and Angola’s Secretary of State for International Cooperation, Ambassador Domingos Lopes, signed the accords during the Fifth Session of the Nigeria-Angola Bilateral Economic Joint Commission held in Luanda from September 9 to 12.

The pacts include a framework for combating narcotics and their precursors, as well as a cultural exchange deal. In addition, Nigeria brokered a landmark twinning agreement between Bayelsa State and Angola’s Namibe Province, alongside another cooperation pact linking Nasarawa State with Bengo Province.

“These agreements signal our collective desire to boost economic growth, create jobs, and strengthen people-to-people ties,” Odumegwu-Ojukwu said, adding that the documents reflect shared responsibilities and a mutual commitment to fight poverty and underdevelopment.

Other outcomes of the bilateral meeting include agreements on visa waivers, simplified customs procedures, preferential cargo lanes, and expanded cooperation in oil and gas, LNG trading, ports and transport infrastructure, and non-oil trade diversification.

The session concluded with the signing of 28 memoranda of understanding and a sister-cities partnership between Bayelsa Governor Douye Diri and Namibe Governor Archer Mangueira, marking a new phase of Nigeria-Angola strategic partnership.

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