Nigeria to enjoy more export opportunities to China, says Envoy 

Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, has listed the benefits of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent state visit to the People’s Republic of China, including an increase in the exportation of Nigerian commodities to China.

Speaking Friday in Abuja at a forum with journalists, Ambassador Dunhai stated that the Chinese government was ready to introduce more investors as well as work with Nigerian farmers to increase their capacities and output, particularly in the production of peanuts.

President Tinubu’s State visit to China between September 1 and 6 was his first visit to the country since he assumed office. He also used the occasion to attend the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

The Ambassador said that although leaders of all African countries with diplomatic relations with China, the United Nations Secretary-General and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission attended the summit, Tinubu was among the very few to be accorded a state visit, which reflected China’s respect for Mr. President and the great importance attached Nigeria.

According to him, a new prospect for China-Nigeria practical cooperation was opened with relevant government departments of both countries signing a total of 13 cooperation documents covering such areas as high-quality Belt and Road cooperation planning, implementation of the Global Development Initiative, economic growth, human resources, application of the Beidou Satellite Navigation System, export of peanuts to China and the media exchanges.

“Among them, one bilateral cooperation document covers around 19 projects that China and Nigeria are cooperating and intend to cooperate with. In addition, multiple cooperation agreements were signed between relevant departments, state governments and Chinese companies during the visit. These documents reflect the fruitful outcomes of President Tinubu’s visit, the thriving cooperation between our two countries, and the bright prospects of China-Nigeria cooperation.

During the meeting between President Xi Jinping and President Tinubu, both leaders agreed that standing at a new historical point, China and Nigeria, as important representatives of major developing countries and emerging economies, have been strengthening their strategic coordination, and it will inject new impetus into the China-Africa relations in the new era, and lead the way for Global South cooperation.

“Going forward, we will work closely with all sectors of Nigeria to implement the important consensus reached by our two heads of state, and ensure that we translate the important consensus into concrete actions, to push forward the upgrading of bilateral cooperation, and bring more benefits to our two peoples”, the Ambassador said.

Speaking, the Director, Centre for China Studies (CCS), Dr. Charles Onunaiju, expressed the need for the Nigerian government to show commitment towards the agreement signed.

Noting that there have been existing eight agreements, he said that the recent 13 signed agreements, some of which involved states and local governments dealing directly with their counterparts in China, can lift rural communities out of government as was the case with Chinese reform.

He therefore tasked the media to hold the government accountable and compel them to march words with actions.

However, the head of political Affairs of the Embassy, Zhang Yi, believed that the Nigerian government would implement the MoU.

“What I observed is that the government is committed to transform the MoUs into actions. They are willing to follow up; we are going to have institutional reviews to follow up.”