Vice President Kashim Shettima has expressed the commitment of the present administration to collaborating with China and other African countries for the mutual benefit of all parties.
He made the declaration on Thursday while representing President Bola Tinubu at the China-Africa Leaders’ Roundtable Dialogue meeting at the margins of the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.
A statement issued on Friday by Olusola Abiola, Director Information Office of the Vice President, quoted him as saying: “Nigeria welcomes the new initiatives introduced by the Chinese authorities, which include supporting and promoting the modernization of Africa’s agriculture and agribusiness sectors; providing robust support for Africa to expedite regional integration; and backing Africa’s industrialization and infrastructure expansion.”
He commended the existing partnership between China and Africa, particularly “the three newly identified initiatives and priority areas of cooperation between China and Africa in the areas of agriculture, industrialization, and human capacity development.
The vice president said the theme of the summit aligns with the “Renewed Hope” mantra of the Tinubu Administration, the African Union’s Agenda 2063, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030”, adding that “they are relevant to our continental and national development aspirations.”
Shettima praised further the commitment of China, stating that “Nigeria firmly endorses China and anticipates forging a close collaboration with the Chinese authorities, the African Union, and all stakeholders.”
He envisioned that these collective efforts would elevate the Africa-China comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership to unprecedented heights, driven by our mutual pursuit of economic prosperity.
While appraising the partnership further, the Vice President identified critical areas for the prevailing partnership between Africa and China including “fostering synergy among the pertinent national institutions tasked with formulating, coordinating, and implementing national policies in the three priority areas of cooperation; and encouraging efforts that promote African ownership of these initiatives.
Other areas include “the new undertakings should be designed in a manner that acknowledges local particularities, is community-based, and tailors to individual country needs.” amplify international resources for financing education in Africa; Solicit input from pertinent African Union institutions and continental organisations such as the African Development Bank (ADB), the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, and other related regional bodies.
The vice president also stressed the importance of “financing Africa’s Infrastructure, with a focus on advancing key infrastructural components like Farm-to-Market Corridors, Farm-to-port Corridors, Export Transport Corridors, Railway Networks, Road Network Upgrades and Expansions, Airport Enhancements, including dedicated export-oriented airports, Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution.”
On Nigeria’s relationship with the Global South, Vice President Shettima told his audience that Nigeria prioritises its relations with the Global South and deeply values all aspects of South-South Cooperation, noting that the Global South is currently grappling with unparalleled challenges.
Continuing, “we are compelled to devise solutions for climate change and establish security measures to contain and prevent transnational crime, terrorism, and cyberattacks. We are confronted with a significant rate of youth unemployment and disruptive natural disasters.
“This situation provides us with the chance to reassess the challenges we collectively face as well as those confronting our partners”, he submitted.
In his address, the President of China and co-chair of the Dialogue, Xi Jinping, pledged to African leaders who attended the meeting on the sidelines of the Summit that China would launch initiatives to support Africa’s industrialization and agricultural modernisation.
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