The Bayelsa State government has entered into a new partnership with the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC), signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Beijing to advance infrastructure, agricultural and aquaculture development, as well as mass housing for civil servants and low-income earners.
According to a statement on Monday, Governor Douye Diri signed the agreement on behalf of the state, while CCECC President, Mr Chen Sichang, signed for the company.
Governor Diri’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr Daniel Alabrah, said the latest deal follows a similar MoU signed on 14 October 2025 with Dubai-based Jampur Group in Abuja for the construction of solar panels and smart electricity meters in the state.
Sichang hailed the new agreement as a “landmark partnership,” noting that CCECC has been active in Bayelsa since 2012 and has completed several major projects, including the Tombia Road, Niger Delta University Road, Airport Access Road, Glory Drive Phase 2, and the Yenagoa–Angiama stretch of the Yenagoa–Oporoma Road.
He highlighted the ongoing construction of the 630-metre Angiama–Oporoma Bridge — the longest stand-alone bridge ever undertaken by CCECC in Nigeria — as a symbol of the company’s enduring relationship with Bayelsa.
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Sichang identified the state as one of CCECC’s key partners in Nigeria and expressed interest in expanding collaboration to include community access roads, power supply, water infrastructure, mechanised agriculture, aquaculture, and fertiliser production.
“Regarding financing of some of the projects, we will invest directly in them, while for others we will seek government or credit support,” he explained.
Governor Diri described CCECC as a “trusted development partner,” recalling that his administration had cleared outstanding debts owed to the firm since 2020. He commended the company’s quality of work and reaffirmed his commitment to sustaining the partnership.
The governor also stressed that mass housing projects, particularly in the proposed New Yenagoa City, would be a top priority in the remaining two years of his administration.
“When you become development partners, it means government alone is not the one bringing all the money. You are seen more as financiers and investors, not just contractors,” Diri said.
He announced that President Bola Tinubu would be invited to inaugurate the Angiama–Oporoma Bridge in February 2026 to mark the sixth anniversary of his administration.
