3 days ago
19
By Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
The Federal Government of Nigeria has sought the Chinese Government’s cooperation in diversifying and strengthening Nigeria’s economy, particularly in the area of industrialisation.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, made the call in Abuja when the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, paid her a courtesy visit.
In a statement issued by her Special Assistant on Communication and New Media, Magnus Eze, the minister noted that Nigeria has maintained a robust relationship with China for over five decades. She highlighted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda prioritises the diversification and strengthening of the nation’s economy.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu emphasised the President’s commitment to a strategic partnership with China and identified key areas where Nigeria requires support, including the establishment of electric vehicle plants, digital communication, renewable energy, all aspects of digital technology, and agriculture.
She also acknowledged China’s contributions to the development of Nigeria’s road and rail infrastructure and noted the country’s efforts to improve its power sector and modernise its ports, stressing that these steps would attract more investments.
The minister expressed Nigeria’s desire to expand cultural relations with China, highlighting the growing interest among Nigerian youth in learning the Chinese language.
“It’s quite interesting that a large population of Nigerian youth is leaning towards the Chinese language. Many Nigerian universities are eager to offer Chinese language courses. Chinese has become the language of trade globally,” she said.
“Nigeria and China will continue to engage not only bilaterally but also multilaterally. We expect continued support from China and will always reciprocate that support on multilateral platforms.
“In line with President Tinubu’s plan to industrialise Nigeria, we expect Chinese cooperation in establishing electric vehicle assembly plants, advancing digital communication, promoting renewable energy, enhancing all aspects of digital technology, and boosting agriculture. Given the issue of food insecurity, the government is committed to ensuring food reaches the poorest of the poor. To this end, a separate Ministry of Livestock has been established,” Odumegwu-Ojukwu added.
She further appealed to China to remove trade tariffs for Nigeria, as it had done for 33 other African countries.
The minister also highlighted that the Renewed Hope Agenda focuses on fostering people-to-people contacts and strengthening country-to-country relations.
In his remarks, Ambassador Yu Dunhai described Nigeria-China relations as strong and strategic, expressing China’s commitment to expanding the partnership.
He praised Nigeria as a great nation and a strategic partner to China, noting that President Tinubu’s first official visit to China and his participation in the Forum of China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) had elevated the bilateral relationship.
The envoy highlighted ongoing collaborations in areas such as road development, railway modernisation, power, industrial parks, the Lekki Deep Sea Port, and more.
He revealed that trade between Nigeria and China surpassed $21 billion last year, with Nigeria’s exports to China accounting for over 25 percent of that figure.
Ambassador Yu stressed the importance of manufacturing in industrialisation and mentioned the recently renewed $2 billion currency swap agreement, which aims to strengthen financial cooperation and promote bilateral trade and investment.
He expressed optimism that these progressive efforts would ultimately benefit ordinary citizens.
“We have a comprehensive strategic partnership with Nigeria. China wants Nigeria to play a significant role on the international stage. We support Nigeria’s membership in the G-20, which would further strengthen cooperation between our two countries,” Yu said.
“For China, our approach is consistent — we provide grants to African countries without attaching conditions.”
Ambassador Yu also emphasised the importance of regular reviews to assess the progress of Nigeria-China bilateral cooperation.
English (US) ·