Gov Diri Attends Country’s 60th Independence Celebration
The governments of Lesotho and Bayelsa State have held talks on areas of economic cooperation, including agriculture, oil and gas, tourism, freshwater development and textile warehousing.
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The bilateral meeting between Lesotho’s Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Ntsokoane Samuel Matekane, and Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, took place on Sunday at the State House in Maseru, the capital.
Governor Diri, who recalled an earlier meeting with Matekane in Abuja, Nigeria, said Bayelsa was interested in exploring areas of mutual economic benefit, particularly those in which the state had comparative advantages.
He said the state was rich in crude oil and had very large gas deposits, in addition to having the longest coastline in Nigeria, which placed it in a strategic position along the Gulf of Guinea.
Lesotho is one of the world’s smallest and landlocked nations, located in Southern Africa. It is rich in diamonds and has a strong presence in freshwater resources, hydropower and textile production.
Governor Diri said:
“I think this meeting was divinely orchestrated. The meeting in Abuja had so many other presidents and leaders, but at the end of the day, we were attracted to Lesotho, and Lesotho was equally attracted to us.
“Bayelsa was the first place in Nigeria where oil and gas was found in commercial quantities in 1956 by the British during colonial rule. So, Nigeria became an oil-producing country because of Bayelsa.
“My state is in the southern part of Nigeria, in the coastal area, and it is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Guinea. We seek collaboration and partnership in oil and gas, on how to harness the vast resources in our coastal and maritime environment, as well as in terms of tourism.”
Governor Diri also stated that Bayelsa was looking at exporting industrial starch from its cassava processing factory.
“Our cassava starch extraction factory is now functional and it was aimed at international exports. The local demand in Nigeria is so high. But our target is export.
“Rice production is another commodity that has potential for collaboration. Bayelsa is a massive wetland and the entire state is a rice belt.”
On inter-African trade, Diri noted that countries on the continent did more business with countries outside Africa and said it was time for this to change.
“I think there is a very big opening that is going to be mutually beneficial to both Lesotho and Nigeria, particularly Bayelsa State, from what has come on the table here. I agree with you no less that inter-country trade has been more with countries outside of Africa.
“But if African countries have these kinds of meetings, we can begin to change the direction, as the possibilities are there. We have not been able to explore them.”
He said his administration was winding down and that both teams had to act quickly to make the partnership a reality.
Also speaking, the Director-General of the Bayelsa Investment Promotion Agency (BIPA), Patience Abah, said in a presentation that Bayelsa was following the general framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Abah stressed the importance of the meeting, noting that agreements reached would remain mere words on paper unless the participating parties took steps to actualise them.
“So, that is the spirit with which we are approaching this. His Excellency has spoken about our oil and gas potential. But beyond that, Bayelsa wishes to leverage also its coastal assets.
“We have two claims to fame that no other state in Nigeria can make. We have the longest coastline in the country of at least 203 kilometres. The other is that we have proven gas reserves exceeding 18 trillion cubic feet. These are assets with which we can explore collaboration.
“We know Lesotho specialises and is a world leader in cold water production. But our ecosystem is different, with more swampy terrain and freshwater. So, we can partner on resources like catfish, tilapia, shrimps, fish processing, and cold-chain logistics networks to span not only the Southern African region but all the way down to West Africa as well.
“Using your expertise and terrain advantage, we can also partner on hydropower, as well as renewable and clean energy. Beyond that, we are also looking at your world-class garment manufacturing factory for export. Bayelsa can act as a strategic West African assembly point for warehousing and distribution of your finished textiles in the region and beyond.”
The Lesotho Prime Minister, Ntsokoane Matekane, in his remarks, said the country was interested in any economic relationship and investment that was mutually beneficial.
Ntsokoane, who was a businessman and the country’s richest man before winning the election in 2022, said African countries must first derive greater benefits from their natural resources rather than relying on imported finished products derived from those resources.
He said:
“Africa has been home to a number of minerals and natural resources, but we always export everything we have. They get value outside and come back more expensive for us.
“Now, when you look at the trade between Lesotho and China or the US and compare it with that between Lesotho and Nigeria, it is a totally different story. So, it is very important for us to start these engagements to ensure that there is intra-African trade.”
Ntsokoane stated that Lesotho was targeting 100 per cent renewable energy and planned to export power to the Southern African region.
“We generate power using hydro because our terrain is a masterpiece. We experience eight to 12 times of snowfall in Lesotho, which is the highest source of water in the Southern African region. And, of course, the mountains and gorges are a huge potential for our hydropower. So, in partnership with Bayelsa State and other African countries, we can build a very strong base load in the Mountain Kingdom of Lesotho.”
He also spoke about the possibility of setting up data centres for digital businesses, taking advantage of Lesotho’s cool temperatures and abundant water supply from the mountains.
He further stated that the country depended on Nigeria’s expertise in the oil industry and that Bayelsa would be a strategic partner in the sector because of its history and experience in oil exploration activities.
After the meeting, Governor Diri participated in the Diamond Jubilee Independence celebrations of Lesotho at the National Stadium in Maseru.
The King of Eswatini and his wife, representatives of the governments of Botswana and Zambia, as well as heads of diplomatic missions and international organisations, joined the King of Lesotho, Letsie III, at the colourful ceremony.
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