DIPLOMAN TIMES

Bayelsa State and the Kingdom of Lesotho have opened discussions on economic cooperation spanning agriculture, oil and gas, tourism, fisheries, cold-chain logistics, textiles, renewable energy and intra-African trade.

Governor Douye Diri met Lesotho Prime Minister Ntsokoane Samuel Matekane in Maseru on Sunday as part of discussions on possible economic cooperation between Bayelsa and the Southern African kingdom. The meeting covered sectors in which both sides identified potential complementarities, including agriculture, oil and gas, tourism, cold-water development and textile warehousing.

Diri said Bayelsa was interested in areas where the state has comparative advantages. He pointed to its crude oil and gas resources, its coastal location and its position along the Gulf of Guinea. He also highlighted the state's cassava starch processing facility, saying the plant was functional and that the state was seeking international export opportunities for its output.

Agriculture was another area identified for possible collaboration. Diri described Bayelsa as a major rice-producing environment and said the state's wetland characteristics provided opportunities in agricultural production. He also said the state wanted to explore cooperation in oil and gas, tourism and the utilisation of coastal and maritime resources.

The Director-General of the Bayelsa Investment Promotion Agency, Patience Abah, identified additional opportunities involving fish processing, cold-chain logistics, hydro energy, renewable energy, garment manufacturing, warehousing and regional distribution. She said Bayelsa could potentially serve as a West African assembly and distribution point for finished textile products from Lesotho. She also highlighted what she described as Bayelsa's 203-kilometre coastline and gas reserves exceeding 18 trillion cubic feet as assets for potential collaboration.

Prime Minister Matekane said Lesotho was interested in economic relationships that would be mutually beneficial and argued for stronger intra-African trade. He highlighted Lesotho's hydropower potential, renewable-energy ambitions and possible opportunities for data centres. The discussions did not produce a reported final commercial agreement, but both governments identified several areas for further engagement. Diri said the two teams would need to move quickly to turn the discussions into practical cooperation as his administration approaches the end of its tenure.