Bayelsa State’s drive to attract foreign investment and accelerate infrastructure development received a major boost as the state government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Chinese construction giant, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), in Beijing.
The agreement covers infrastructure, agricultural and aquaculture development, as well as the construction of mass housing for civil servants and low-income earners in the state.
Governor Douye Diri signed the MoU on behalf of the Bayelsa State Government, while Mr. Chen Sichang, President of CCECC, signed for the company.
According to a statement by the governor’s spokesman, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, the new partnership follows a similar MoU signed on October 14, 2025, in Abuja with Dubai-based Jampur Group for the production of solar panels and smart electricity meters in the state.
Mr. Sichang described the latest MoU as a “landmark agreement,” noting that CCECC has had a strong working relationship with Bayelsa State since 2012.
“CCECC started its first project in Bayelsa in 2012. We have successfully completed several projects, including the Tombia Road, Niger Delta University Road, Airport Access Road, Glory Drive Phase 2, and the Yenagoa-Angiama section of the Yenagoa-Oporoma Road,” he said.
He added that the ongoing construction of the 630-meter Angiama-Oporoma Bridge, the longest stand-alone bridge ever built by CCECC in Nigeria underscores the company’s commitment to quality and the confidence reposed in it by the Bayelsa government.
“Bayelsa is one of our most important strategic partners,” Sichang said. “We are proposing collaboration on more community access roads, power, water supply, mechanised agriculture, aquaculture, and fertiliser production to boost agricultural productivity.”
On project financing, he explained that CCECC would invest directly in some of the proposed projects while seeking government or credit support for others.
“We are dedicated to delivering more exemplary China-Africa cooperation projects that support Bayelsa’s long-term growth,” he added.
In his remarks, Governor Douye Diri commended CCECC for its long-standing partnership and commitment to the state’s development, describing the company as a “true development partner.”
He recalled that upon assuming office in 2020, his administration inherited some outstanding debts to CCECC and other contractors but had since cleared them.
“When I assumed office and saw the quality of work done by your company, I decided to continue with you,” Diri said. “We see you not just as a contractor, but as a development partner. Since we overcame the initial challenges, your company has been doing wonderfully well.”
Governor Diri revealed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would be invited to inaugurate the Angiama-Oporoma Bridge in February 2026, as part of activities marking his administration’s sixth anniversary.
He further expressed his government’s determination to embark on mass housing projects within the remaining two years of his tenure, especially in the proposed New Yenagoa City.
“This is one area of cooperation we seriously desire. We want to see private sector-driven housing projects in Bayelsa. From my first day in office, I made electricity and pipe-borne water top priorities for our people. These are basic necessities,” he stated.
Diri also accepted CCECC’s proposal for a fertiliser production plant, saying the state is keen on advancing mechanised agriculture and aquaculture.
“As you stated, you are ready to finance these projects. When you become development partners, it means the government is not solely responsible for the funding. We will agree on the financing and investment models so that you are seen as financiers and investors, not just contractors,” he said.
