Angola, Nigeria to Mark 50 Years of Relations with Documentary Publication

Luanda — Angola and Nigeria plan to release a documentary volume next year documenting 50 years of political, diplomatic, and cooperative relations between the two nations, Angola’s ambassador to Nigeria, José Bamóquina Zau, announced on Wednesday.

The announcement came during a lecture titled “Pan-Africanism in Neto’s Speeches and Prophecies that Catalysed the Liberation of Other Peoples,” held at the Angolan Embassy in Abuja on Thursday, according to a press release distributed to ANGOP. The event marked Founder of the Nation’s Day, observed annually on 17 September.

Ambassador Zau noted that a substantial documentary archive documenting President Agostinho Neto’s relationship with Nigeria exists and should be organized, systematized, and made accessible for historical research and future generations.

Among the highlights were Nigeria’s first financial contribution of USD 100 million in 1975, which enabled Angola’s initial government to function, and the first 20 scholarships granted to young Angolans for study at Nigerian universities.

The diplomat also emphasized Neto’s close ties with Presidents Murtala Ramat Muhammed and Olusegun Obasanjo, saying their partnership bolstered Angola’s resolve to end colonialism and racial segregation in Southern Africa.

Dedicated to Agostinho Neto, the lecture gathered diplomats and members of the Angolan community in Nigeria and was delivered by journalist, author, and Novo Jornal director Armindo Laureano.

Laureano underscored Neto’s dual legacy as both a writer and a politician.

“Literary Nigeria knew Agostinho Neto before political Nigeria recognized him as President of Angola,” Laureano said.

He noted that Neto’s relationship with Nigeria remains insufficiently studied within twentieth-century political, diplomatic, and cultural history.

Laureano further argued that Nigeria’s continental influence and President Murtala Muhammed’s commitment to decolonization were instrumental in shifting the political balance within the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), now the African Union.

“Lagos, Nigeria’s former capital, not only recognized the government of Agostinho Neto in Luanda but also mobilized its diplomatic apparatus to persuade other African states to follow suit,” he concluded.

The event also included an exhibition on Neto’s life and work and concluded with a cultural program featuring a recital of his most significant liberation poems and a trova performance by musician Alberto Milando.

The embassy also used the occasion to honor more than 20 locally recruited employees for their distinguished service during the year.

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