From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri has held a business meeting with the Governor of the State of New Jersey in the United States of America over possible collaboration in the area of education and other investment opportunities within and outside the coastal terrain of the state and the region.
The meeting, which was held in Trenton City was attended by the Bayelsa delegation to the US-led by Governor Douye Diri and the New Jersey Secretary of State, Ms Tahesha Way, who represented the Governor, Philip Murphy.
The Director-General of the Bayelsa New Media, Kola Oredipe, in a statement on details about the meeting between the two leaders said the duo agreed to work out mutually beneficial partnerships because Bayelsa and New Jersey have similar terrain as coastal environments.
Ms Way, who presented a letter of welcome personally signed by Governor Murphy to Senator Diri, appreciated the genuine intention of the Bayelsa Governor to attract investment opportunities to his State and assured that the government in New Jersey would be willing to help mobilize investors to identify opportunities in Bayelsa State.
The Bayelsa State delegation had met with Donald Milford Payne Jr., top US Congressman representing New Jersey, members of the African American Chamber of Commerce in New Jersey, visited Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, Stevens Institute of Technology, and Ricovr biolaboratory, an arm of the Princeton University, New Jersey, that is developing cutting-edge saliva diagnostic technology.
Bayelsa seeks partnership in the development of Bayelsa Medical University in Yenagoa, exchange programmes for students, investments in renewable energy, and broadband technology to improve connectivity.
Mr Victor Lawrence, a Senior Research Scientist at Stevens Institute of Technology and an expert in Broadband technology, said Brass Island in Bayelsa State had been identified as a great location to site a landing station for Telcom submarine cables that would be commercially rewarding to the oil-rich state.
The Permanent Secretary, Bayelsa State Ministry of Trade, Industry and Investments, Ms Patience Ranami Abah, said the delegation was excited at the huge opportunities at the various facilities visited and that a technical team from the State would immediately explore the opportunities so identified.