The 5th Meeting of the Angola-Nigeria Bilateral Joint Commission will open tomorrow (Tuesday) in Luanda, marking a renewed push to deepen cooperation across key economic and diplomatic sectors.
Over 20 agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs) are expected to be reviewed, updated, and expanded to strengthen collaboration in defense and security, cyber and digital diplomacy, trade, judicial affairs, culture, transport, telecommunications, tourism, and visa exemptions.
The meeting will be co-chaired by Angola’s Secretary of State for International Cooperation, Domingos Vieira Lopes, and Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu.
Angola’s Ambassador to Nigeria, José Bamóquina Zau, described the gathering as “a turning point to promote more dynamic cooperation,” citing visa exemptions, double taxation treaties, extradition frameworks, and enhanced maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea as priorities.
He noted that the commission’s work, stalled since 2001, is being relaunched with a renewed focus on hydrocarbons, petrochemicals, agribusiness, tourism, technology, innovation, and the blue economy—sectors seen as critical to job creation and private sector growth.
On the sidelines, twinning agreements will be signed between Angola’s provinces of Bengo and Namibe and Nigeria’s Nasarawa and Bayelsa States, respectively, with their governors in attendance. The Angola Private Investment and Export Promotion Agency (AIPEX) and the Angola-Nigeria Business Council (ANBC) are also expected to formalize stronger partnership frameworks to encourage private investments.
Despite their vast potential, bilateral trade remains underwhelming. Between 2020 and 2022, Angola exported goods worth $5.6 million to Nigeria while imports stood at $16.8 million, leaving Angola with a $11.2 million deficit outside the oil sector. However, renewed interest has been recorded, with Nigerian investment intentions reaching an estimated $5 billion at a business forum in Lagos earlier this year.
Nigeria played a pivotal role in Angola’s independence, providing political and financial support before and after 1975. Since then, both nations have signed multiple cooperation agreements, with historical high-level visits including President António Agostinho Neto’s 1977 trip to Nigeria, where he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Lagos.
Reaffirming the spirit of partnership, President Bola Tinubu had, in October 2023, assured Angola’s envoy José Bamóquina Zau of Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening bilateral ties and fully harnessing shared opportunities.
