The Bayelsa State government and the state of New Jersey in the United States of America at the weekend resolved to explore mutually beneficial business opportunities in the two states.
A statement signed by Governor Duoye Diri’s new media director, Kola Oredipe, disclosed that the Bayelsa State governor who is in the US with a delegation to seek investment opportunities and possible areas of collaboration with some key institutions in New York and New Jersey states has presented his economic initiatives to the secretary of state, Ms. Tahesha Way who represented the New Jersey governor, Mr. Philip Murphy when he visited.
The statement noted that both Bayelsa and the state of New Jersey had similar coastal terrain adding that his administration was desirous to understudy key models of infrastructural development in the American state for the good of Bayelsa people.
The Bayelsa State Government statement read, “We are seeking partnership in the development of Bayelsa Medical University in Yenagoa, exchange programmes for students, investments in renewable energy and broadband technology to improve connectivity.
“We are here to seek further opportunities for the growth of our country and our dear state of Bayelsa. Bayelsa State is the golden egg of the country where crude oil was first struck in commercial quantities but today, we are all aware that oil has almost given way. We are richer in natural gas deposits and that is a great source for cleaner energy that the world seeks.
“We are looking for investors in this area. In the area of health, we have a young medical university. We have been looking for opportunities for programmes exchange, modeling our curriculum to suit modern medical technology; opportunities like this to see other institutions that will collaborate with us. This is a massive opportunity”.
Ms. Way who presented a letter of welcome personally signed by Governor Murphy to Diri, appreciated the genuine intention of the Bayelsa State governor to attract investment opportunities to his state and assured him that the New Jersey government would be willing to help mobilize investors to identify opportunities in the state.
The permanent secretary, Bayelsa State ministry of Trade, Industry and Investments, Patience Ranami Abah, said the delegation was excited with the huge opportunities in the various facilities visited adding that a technical team from the state would immediately explore opportunities so identified.
