…Vow to Deepen Bilateral Cooperation
The Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Lagos, Ms. Yan Yuqing, paid a historic visit to the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), with the aim of deepening bilateral cooperation in education, culture, research, and development.
Yuqing commended FUNAAB’s academic environment, vast land resources, and agricultural potential.
She vowed to strengthen and foster relationships between the university and agricultural institutions in China in order to support research collaborations, facilitate seminars in Beijing and other cities, and enhance laboratory connections.
She also reaffirmed her commitment to the Chinese Training Centre in FUNAAB, aimed at promoting Chinese language, culture, and traditional medicine, while announcing plans to extend a charity programme in Ogun State to benefit low-income students and staff.
Speaking during the visit, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Babatunde Kehinde, described the long-awaited visit, anticipated for about two years, as highly significant, given the robust and mutually beneficial ties between FUNAAB and China in agriculture, trade, commerce, culture, and education.
He expressed appreciation for the numerous training programmes, academic exchanges, and capacity-building initiatives facilitated through Chinese partnerships, adding that the University aspires to establish a Chinese Language School to serve as a hub for language and cultural exchange for Ogun State and beyond.
Prof. Kehinde, who had also visited China multiple times since 2010, commended the country’s development, innovation, and hospitality, and reaffirmed FUNAAB’s readiness to explore fresh avenues of collaboration to advance academic excellence, cultural understanding, and socio-economic growth.
Reeling out proposed areas of collaboration, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Prof. Olukayode Akinyemi, commended China’s contributions, including training in green and solar energy.
He reiterated the institution’s openness to joint degree programmes, professional development for staff, Chinese language training, and partnerships in engineering, science, medicine, and student exchange. Describing Ms. Yuqing as “an Amazon” and a woman of integrity, he recalled her prompt fulfilment of four promises to him within a month.
Also speaking, a researcher with the China-Africa Economic and Trade Promotion Council (CAETPC), Mr. Li Zhensheng, commended FUNAAB’s agricultural strides and identified six priority areas for collaboration, which were food security, manufacturing, mineral resource development, oil and gas refining, trade services, and education. He further proposed linking FUNAAB’s clinic with Chinese medical practitioners and partnering on mushroom cultivation and medicinal research.
The visit concluded with a guided tour of major University facilities, including the 3MW Hybrid Solar Station, the Greenhouse, and the Central Laboratories at the Centre of Excellence in Agricultural Development and Sustainable Environment (CEADESE).
