Members of the National Assembly attend the opening of the new parliamentary year in Luanda, Angola, Oct. 15, 2025. Angolan president Joao Lourenco has said that the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the country's independence will be "an occasion to exalt the historical journey of Angola, revisiting achievements and challenges." Delivering the State of the Nation address on Wednesday at the opening of the new parliamentary year, Lourenco said that on Nov. 11, the Angolan people will celebrate 50 years of independence, 50 years as a free people, masters of their own destiny. (Photo by Julio Kikebu/Xinhua)
LUANDA, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- Angolan president Joao Lourenco has said that the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the country's independence will be "an occasion to exalt the historical journey of Angola, revisiting achievements and challenges."
Delivering the State of the Nation address on Wednesday at the opening of the new parliamentary year, Lourenco said that on Nov. 11, the Angolan people will celebrate 50 years of independence, 50 years as a free people, masters of their own destiny.
The date would be a moment to honor "the high and the less good moments of our history, the lessons we learned and the conquests we achieved together," he said.
Angola, once emerging from "the long colonial night," had changed profoundly in five decades, Lourenco said.
"From about 6.5 million inhabitants in 1975, Angola today has around 35 million," he noted, adding that the rapid growth poses challenges in providing health, education, housing and social services.
Lourenco recalled that at independence, Angola had only 320 health units and 19 doctors, but now counts 3,355 health facilities and a significant improvement in infant and maternal mortality rates.
Life expectancy has risen to 64.6 years, meaning Angolans live on average 23 years longer than at the end of the colonial period, he said.
In the education sector, the president said, Angola inherited a colonial and unequal system with an illiteracy rate of 85 percent, which has now fallen to about 24 percent.
For the 2025-2026 academic year, he said, more than 9.6 million students are enrolled and 208,488 teachers are serving across the country.
On the economy, Lourenco said the government is trying to contain inflation, which stands at around 18 percent, and to strengthen financial inclusion, targeting a banking rate of 65 percent by 2027.
He reaffirmed the need for diversification, citing the words of founding president Agostinho Neto that "agriculture is the base and industry the decisive factor."
Marking a symbolic gesture of reconciliation, Lourenco announced that historical anti-colonial leaders will be awarded the Commemorative Medal of the 50th Anniversary of Independence, describing the act as one of "forgiveness, peace and national reconciliation."
"The golden jubilee is a time to celebrate our history and reaffirm our determination to continue building a prosperous nation," he said. ■
Angolan president Joao Lourenco delivers the State of the Nation address at the opening of the new parliamentary year in Luanda, Angola, Oct. 15, 2025. Angolan president Joao Lourenco has said that the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the country's independence will be "an occasion to exalt the historical journey of Angola, revisiting achievements and challenges."
Delivering the State of the Nation address on Wednesday at the opening of the new parliamentary year, Lourenco said that on Nov. 11, the Angolan people will celebrate 50 years of independence, 50 years as a free people, masters of their own destiny. (Photo by Julio Kikebu/Xinhua)
