By Chukwuma Umeorah
China and Nigeria have outlined a renewed blueprint for bilateral engagement, focusing on infrastructure, trade expansion, industrialisation, digital innovation and green energy initiatives, following discussions at the Second Lagos Forum held at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Lagos.
Speaking at the event, the Director-General of the NIIA, Eghosa Osaghae, emphasised the strategic importance of deepening ties with China in an era marked by geopolitical shifts and technological advancements. “Nigeria’s partnership with China, anchored in the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), presents an opportunity to reimagine collaboration to align more closely with our development objectives, strategic priorities and vision for a shared future,” he said.
The Second Lagos Forum, co-hosted by the Chinese Consulate, the Africa-China Economy Magazine, and Zhejiang Normal University’s Institute of African Studies, reinforced the growing strategic depth of Nigeria-China relations.
Chinese Consul General in Lagos, Yan Yuqing, in her keynote address, reaffirmed China’s readiness to partner with Nigeria to foster mutual growth and prosperity. She highlighted that the comprehensive strategic partnership announced during President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s state visit to China in September 2024 was a landmark development. “Practice has proven clearly that China and Nigeria are truly reliable friends and partners in each other’s development,” she said.
Yan outlined a four-point cooperation framework tagged B-O-N-D — Build, Open, Nurture, and Deepen — to drive future collaborations. She explained, “China is ready to continue working together with Nigeria to deepen infrastructure cooperation in key sectors such as transportation, energy, and tele-communications. We are taking projects like the Lagos-Ibadan Railway, the Lagos Rail Mass Transit, and the Lekki Deepsea Port as typical examples of our shared success.”
She also used the occasion to reiterate China’s global trade stance particularly regarding its stand off with the US, stressing that, “China firmly opposes all forms of tariff wars and trade wars. This is not only about safeguarding China’s national interests and dignity, but also about defending the international economic and trade order, and global fairness and justice.” According to her, economic bullying and protectionism “will ultimately be swept into the dustbin of history.”
The Consul General further noted that China’s economy remains resilient, growing by 5.4 per cent in Q1 2025, and that trade with Belt and Road Initiative countries now accounts for over 50 per cent of China’s global trade, a sign of growing opportunities for partners like Nigeria. She added, “We are ready to work together with Nigeria and other countries of the Global South to expand mutually beneficial cooperation.”
Addressing participants, Prof. Efem Ubi, Director of Studies at NIIA, urged Nigeria to learn from China’s deliberate industrialization journey. He noted, “Science and technology are indispensable for national development. No country can truly progress without emphasizing these sectors alongside industrialization.” He stressed that after over 60 years of independence, African nations must move beyond reliance on raw material exports to genuine manufacturing, highlighting that technology transfer opportunities with China must be strategically leveraged.
Ubi however highlighted that China’s willingness to invest and assist must be strategically managed by Nigeria to protect national interests. “If China is prepared to assist with technology transfer, we must engage with them — but on terms that are mutually beneficial, not lopsided,” he said.
Meanwhile, Charles Udeogaranya, President of the Goods Made-In-China Importers Association, supported the idea of stronger Chinese involvement in Nigeria’s production landscape. He urged that if Nigeria cannot access low-interest financing and reliable electricity, it should invite Chinese manufacturers to invest directly in local production for regional exports. “If we cannot do that, then let’s open our doors and bring the Chinese, who have access to finance, to come here and help us produce some of these products, and we will export from here to other nations, at least the African market. The economy of Nigeria will strengthen, and it will improve,” he said.
Udeogaranya, however, stressed that critical bottlenecks like Nigeria’s 27.50 per cent Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) and poor electrification must be addressed urgently. “We must partner with China to ensure that we have at least 70 per cent electrification in Nigeria. We must. And secondly, we also need to engage the Chinese to ensure that our enterprises, entrepreneurs have access to at least a single-digit interest loan facility,” he appealed.