The Abia State government has expressed a positive reception towards potential cooperation with Poland and Bulgaria. The government aims to foster collaboration as a means to support economic growth and development in the state.
Governor Alex Otti extended a warm welcome to Mrs. Joan Tarnawska, the Polish ambassador to Nigeria, and her delegation, along with Yanko Yardonov, the Bulgarian ambassador, and his entourage. He expressed Abia State’s eagerness to engage in strong partnerships with both countries.
The Polish delegation expressed a strong desire to collaborate with Abia State in various fields, including mining, education, culture, and agriculture. Meanwhile, Bulgarian officials showed interest in the prospects of trade, education, agriculture, and the state’s development of human capital. This indicates a potential for multi-sectoral cooperation and partnership between Abia State and both Poland and Bulgaria, NN News Media learnt.
Governor Otti conveyed to both the Polish and Bulgarian delegations that the state administration is open to collaborations that would significantly contribute to Abia’s economic development. He expressed his enthusiasm for the attention that Abia is receiving from these European countries, indicating a positive outlook for potential partnerships that could advance the state’s economic growth.
“There can’t be a better state to partner with than Abia, and I say that for a lot of reasons,” Otti told the Polish delegation.
He specifically disclosed that, “our dreams are very big” in such sectors as agriculture and education, hinting that Abia was desirous of exporting skilled workers.
“Our people are very creative, very innovative, very focused. They produce virtually everything; they may not be as sophisticated as those in Europe but they work,” Otti added.
The Polish ambassador stated that there was much that Poland and Nigeria could do together, and she revealed that this was her first trip to the southeast of the country.
“Nigeria is a country of great opportunities and potentials. We would like to tap into that potential and look for new avenues of cooperation between Poland and Nigeria ,and in particular your state,” she told the Abia governor.
“We signed an MoU on cooperation, agriculture and I hope that we can on this basis develop even closer ties with Nigeria and with Abia State,” Tarnawska remembered the Polish President’s visit to Nigeria last year.
In a similar vein, Governor Otti gave the team from Bulgaria the assurance that Abia State is dedicated to providing excellent governance.
“the government we have in Abia State right now is a very serious government, focused on delivering good governance to our people,” Otti revealed.
Yanko Yardonov, the Bulgarian ambassador to Nigeria, underlined that the mission intended to work with Abia in important domains like trade, education, agriculture, and human capital development.
He expressed Bulgaria’s desire to form alliances and complimented Abia as a country with lots of prospects.
“In more concrete terms, the project we wish to bring to your attention will be offering comprehensive understanding about the need to develop, not only economic ties, but also the people to people exchange,” Yordanov stated.
“Abia State is widely known as a State where all the opportunities exist. This is why my country and private investors desire to collaborate and develop partnership with Your Excellency,” he concluded.
