Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has called on Chinese investors to establish factories and production facilities in Nigeria, warning that the country risks becoming merely a consumer of foreign goods if strategic investments are not prioritised.

Speaking at a seminar in Abuja on Tuesday, marking 55 years of diplomatic relations between Nigeria and China, Sanusi emphasised that local manufacturing is crucial to creating jobs, building industries, and securing Nigeria’s economic future.

The event, organised by the Centre for China Studies, focused on “China’s Zero Tariff Treatment and the Implications for Structural Transformation and Diversification of the Nigerian Economy.”

Sanusi highlighted that while investment in infrastructure, such as ports, airports, and roads, is welcome, Nigeria’s priority should be on industries that produce goods domestically.

He warned that unless the country focuses on becoming a manufacturing hub, neighbouring countries could benefit from industrial investment while Nigeria remains a consumer nation.

Reflecting on Nigeria-China relations, Sanusi described the partnership as a work in progress with “unfinished business,” noting that his father’s early diplomatic engagement as Nigeria’s first envoy to China shaped Nigeria’s foreign policy and laid the foundation for today’s strategic partnership.

He recalled Nigeria’s early adoption of the Chinese renminbi in its foreign reserves during his tenure as central bank governor, positioning the country ahead of global trends toward diversifying the use of foreign currencies in international trade.

The former CBN governor explained that this move was part of a broader strategy to reduce dependence on a single global currency, strengthen trade resilience, and facilitate direct transactions with China.

Sanusi also highlighted China’s remarkable economic transformation over the past five decades, noting that the country lifted over 700 million people out of poverty in 40 years while building an industrial base capable of high-tech production.

Earlier in his keynote address, the Chargé d’Affaires of the Chinese Embassy, Zhou Hongyou, commended the long-standing partnership between the two countries.

He noted that Nigeria had become China’s largest engineering contracting market in Africa, with collaboration spanning trade, infrastructure, and human resource development.

Zhou also praised the growth in trade and investment, citing bilateral trade of $28 billion in 2025 and Chinese direct investment of $690 million, up 103 per cent from the previous year.

In his remarks, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, highlighted the opportunities offered by China’s Zero Tariff Treatment (ZTT).

He explained that ZTT enables Nigeria to shift from exporting raw materials to exporting value-added products, thereby enhancing competitiveness and boosting industrialisation.

In the same vein, the Director-General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), Dr Joseph Ochogwu, connected economic growth to national stability, stressing that sustainable development requires partnerships that are people-centred and conflict-sensitive.