Lima Commends Tegbe’s Appointment As DG Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership

The appointment of Joseph Tegbe as Director General of Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership (NCSP) has received commendation from the former Chief Trade Negotiator of Nigeria, Victor Lima.

In an opinion article published in the Guardian Newspapers, Lima commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for seeking out the best for the job as Joseph Tegbe comes as an experienced policy strategist, econo­mist, and technocrat, with a wealth of expertise in economic planning, international trade, and strategic governance.

“In a strategic shift toward a more robust economic and political part­nership, Tegbe’s appointment signals Nigeria’s commitment to maximising the vast opportunities between both countries”.

According to Lima, the appoint­ment is pivotal to enhancing bilat­eral cooperation in key sectors, such as trade, investment, infrastructure, technology, and foreign policy.

As China solidifies its role as Ni­geria’s top trade partner, NCSP under Tegbe will play a crucial role in en­suring that both nations benefit from their growing economic interdepen­dence, which will be instrumental for the nation to fully capitalises on its growing partnership while safeguard­ing its national interests.

Tegbe’s Appointment he added, will lift Nigeria-China partnership to an unprecedented heights, shaping Nigeria’s economic and diplomatic fu­ture for decades to come.

Joseph Olasunkami Tegbe is a technocrat with economic exper­tise and decades of experience in economic planning and investment strategy. He will be bridging policy and practice, by coordinating govern­ment agencies, private sector players, and diplomatic entities to ensure the country maximises its trade and in­vestment relations with China.

The Director General will also en­hance the country’s bargaining pow­er, by streamlining negotiations and ensuring coherent policies, and will strengthen its position in trade and investment discussions with China, Nigeria’s largest trading partner, with trade volume surpassing $20 billion annually.

Riding on the above, Lima af­firmed that Tegbe’s appointment is timely as Nigeria moves to take full advantage of the agreements reached during President Tinubu’s successful state visit to China and his participa­tion in the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

He posits that Nigeria should also advocate for stronger African repre­sentation in global institutions, in­cluding the UN Security Council. On the One-China Policy and Diplomatic Cohesion, he said Nigeria has consis­tently supported the policy, reinforc­ing its diplomatic ties with Beijing.

Lima pointed out that recent at­tempts by Taiwan to increase its diplomatic presence in Nigeria pose a challenge, and Tegbe’s role will involve ensuring that the nation re­mains firm in its commitment to the One-China Policy