Michael Olugbode in Abuja
The Embassy of Angola in Nigeria is opening a visa application centre in the oil-city of Port Harcourt to boost the relationship between the country and Nigeria in the hydrocarbons business.
“As part of the activities to celebrate the 4th of April, Day of Peace and National Reconciliation in Angola, a Visa Application Centre will be inaugurated this Tuesday, 04/02, in the Nigerian city of Port Harcourt, in order to obviate the need to travel to Abuja and Lagos.
“The centre, a partnership between the Embassy of Angola in Nigeria and the company Akwa Helmes International Limited – AHIL, has facilities for applying for visas, increasing investment attractiveness, supporting the oil and gas industry, as well as promoting sun-sea and adventure tourism,” a statement from the embassy said.
It explained that the embassy’s services will extend to hotel reservations, ticket sales and air connectivity to destinations operated by Angola’s national airline, TAAG.
“H.E. Siminalayi Fubara, Governor of Rivers State, is the special guest of H.E. Ambassador José Bamóquina Zau to witness the inauguration of a centre for economic, cultural and tourist rapprochement between Angola and Nigeria,” it added.
The city of Port Harcourt, in Rivers State , with a population of about 10 million, is located in the heart of the vast Niger Delta, where the main petroleum and petrochemical industries, two large state-owned refineries, two seaports, universities and scientific and technological institutes are located.
“Most of the businessmen and technicians working in Angola’s oil and gas industry come from this region, but the local authorities want to intensify academic cooperation with training institutes and technical internships in the oil and gas industry,” it added.
