Participants at the dinner debate in Lisbon expressed pessimism about the short and medium term future of Angola. Even so, they highlighted the advantages of the African country in the regional context.
Portuguese and Angolan public figures argued, at a dinner debate in Lisbon, that Angola needs to resolve its “Achilles heel”, education and more productive foreign investment.
The debate, which took place on Thursday night and lasted until the early hours of the morning, was marked by a certain pessimistic sentiment about the short and medium term future of Angola, given the current situation in the country, but in which The advantages of this African State in the regional context and its capabilities and resources were also highlighted. be “a great power” in the future.
Firstly, because it is a country where “there are no ethnic and religious conflicts”, a problem that today affects a large part of African States.
Regarding resources, the speakers highlighted the importance of Angola being the third largest oil producer in Africa, after Nigeria and Libya, but also the fact that it is a country with the capacity to be an important producer and exporter of food, in a global context. of conflicts that affect food production.
The dinner-debate, which took place in a hotel in Lisbon on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the independence of Angola, which the country celebrates on November 11, 2025, was promoted by the Angola Research Network and CEDESA, entities that investigate and analyze the Angolan problem. political, economic and social issues.
Onofre dos Santos, retired judge of the Constitutional Court of Angola, the country’s vice-consul in Lisbon, Manuel Resende, commentator and researcher Jaime Nogueira Pinto, former member of socialist governments and former secretary general of the UCCLA (União das Cidades Capitales de la Lengua Portuguesa ) Vitor Ramalho, the vice president of the Portuguese Angola Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIPA), Maria José Melo, the former social democratic deputy Nuno Carvalho, businessmen, lawyers and company directors with ties to both countries were some of the participants in the debate.
What was said there could be published by the journalists present, but not attributed, in particular, to any of the speakers.
Thus, one of the problems that almost all the speakers focused on was that of lack of training of people and weak investment by the State in educationin a country where the vast majority of the population is young and where the unemployment rate exceeds 30%, with no job prospects for young people.
The “gravity” of the educational situation for some of those involved in the debate begins with the fact that many children in Angola do not even have access to school.
For all this, Angola is, from the perspective of these analysts, A country that needs productive foreign direct investment.that is, not only extractive of its resources. But a transformative investment of its resources in final products for domestic consumption and export to other African countries, in addition to generating employment.
The celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the independence of that country, which is celebrated on November 11, 2025, began on the 11th of this year and will last until December 31 of next year, under the motto “Angola 50 years: preserving and valuing the achievements achieved by building a better future.”
The commemorative activities, which will last a year, will take place on national territory but will also involve the diplomatic and consular representations of Angola around the world.
But the highlight of the celebrations will take place in the Angolan capital, Luanda, in Praça da República, next to the Memorial to António Agostinho Neto, the country’s first president, considered a crucial figure in the fight for Angola’s independence.
These ceremonies on November 11, 2025 will be presided over by the current head of state, João Lourenço.
UNITA calls for a demonstration this Saturday against hunger in Angola
Source: Observadora
