Nigeria and China have strengthened their strategic partnership following a high-level diplomatic engagement in Changsha, China.
This was disclosed at the Ministerial Meeting of Coordinators on the Implementation of the Outcomes of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which saw the unveiling of fresh economic initiatives for Africa.
Led by Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, and the Director-General of the Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership, Joseph Tegbe, the Nigerian delegation participated in the forum and the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo, where Nigeria served as Guest of Honor.
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The engagement signals a strategic push by Abuja to leverage new Chinese policy directions for African nations, particularly in trade, green industry, and technological innovation.
The meeting, attended by over 100 ministerial-level officials and African ambassadors, reviewed progress on commitments from the 2024 FOCAC Beijing Summit.
Central to discussions were the “Six Proposals for Joint Modernization” and the implementation of the “Ten Partnership Actions”—a framework introduced by Chinese President Xi Jinping to reshape China-Africa cooperation.
In a congratulatory letter read at the forum’s opening, President Xi reaffirmed China’s commitment to Africa’s development and announced sweeping new initiatives, including: Zero-Tariff Expansion where China will now extend zero-tariff treatment to 100% of tariff lines for all 53 African countries maintaining diplomatic ties with Beijing; Enhanced Market Access: Special support will be given to Africa’s Least Developed Countries (LDCs), easing access to the vast Chinese market; Sectoral Partnerships: China pledged deeper cooperation in strategic areas such as green technology, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, finance, security, and rule of law, with a view to fostering industrialization and innovation-driven growth across Africa.
For Nigeria, these measures present an opportunity to accelerate domestic economic reform and industrialization goals under the Renewed Hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Speaking in Changsha, Foreign Minister Tuggar noted that Nigeria is “ready to work more closely with China, not just as a partner but as a strategic ally in delivering economic transformation and sustainable development.”
He added that several Chinese enterprises had expressed interest in investing in Nigeria’s industrial zones, agribusiness, and digital infrastructure.
The Chinese government extended a high-level reception to the Nigerian delegation, with top officials including Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Hunan Province Governor Mao Weiming holding bilateral discussions with the visiting team.
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