Odahiekwu Ogunde, Yenagoa
Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has promised that his administration will provide and guarantee the enabling environment for United Kingdom investments in the state.
Diri made the pledge on Monday when he met with the United Kingdom’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mrs. Catriona Laing, in Abuja.
He requested the envoy to pave the way for British investments in the state in the areas of agriculture, transportation, education, maritime, aquaculture, ICT among others.
Diri, in a statement by his media aide, Mr Daniel Alabrah, said the relationship between the UK and Bayelsa predated the creation of Nigeria.
He said the relationship was further consolidated by the discovery of crude oil in commercial quantities at Otuabagi, a community in the state, by Shell Petroleum Development Company in 1956.
He, however, noted that despite SPDC being one of the leading oil companies in the state and the long history of economic relations with the UK, Bayelsa had nothing to show as there was no other investment from UK companies in the state.
Diri solicited the UK government’s support and collaboration to establish a skills acquisition centre in the state that would train and empower women and youths in carpentry, refrigeration, solar power assembly, fashion designing and masonry. Other areas are farming techniques for high-yield crops production, aquaculture, ICT as well as mechanical/electrical training.
Diri also sought support for undergraduate and postgraduate scholarship to Bayelsa students as well as inter-city collaboration with either the city of London, Liverpool or Manchester in order to enhance the state’s transportation infrastructure, urban planning and waste management.
Responding, the UK High Commissioner, Catriona Laing, thanked Governor Diri for the visit, saying the Mission encouraged collaboration with states and organisations that border on mutual interests.
Laing said the UK was interested in the economic development of Bayelsa, particularly in the area of sustainable agriculture and other areas that the governor highlighted.