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From Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
The Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, has said since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s state visit to China in September 2024, the development of China-Nigeria comprehensive strategic partnership has entered a fast track.
Yu stated this yesterday during the first annual China-Nigeria government exchange programme alumni reunion gala held in Abuja.
The Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, in a statement made available to Saturday Sun, said more than 200 representatives of participants from various sectors in Nigeria were present during the event.
In his remarks, Yu said: “Since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s state visit to China in September last year, the development of China-Nigeria comprehensive strategic partnership has entered a “fast track” with bilateral strategic mutual trust consolidated and practical cooperation across various fields deepened.
“This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). At the Ministerial Meeting of the Coordinators for the Implementation of the Outcomes of the Beijing Summit of FOCAC held in June this year, China announced its readiness to grant zero-tariff treatment for 100 per cent of tariff lines to all 53 African countries that have diplomatic ties with China, through the negotiation and signing of agreements on economic and development cooperation.”
Yu further said not long ago, the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China reviewed and adopted the Recommendations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development, emphasising that China will comprehensively advance the Chinese path to modernisation and expand high-standard opening-up.
“This will bring new cooperation opportunities for all countries in the world, including Nigeria. China’s capacity-building initiatives are an important platform for China-Africa human resources cooperation and for supporting capacity building in Africa. To date, China has trained over 10, 000 Nigerian participants through this platform.
“As a Chinese proverb says, ‘It is better to teach a man to fish than to give him fish.’ China believes that China’s capacity-building initiatives for Nigeria will help solidify the talent foundation for Nigeria’s development, promote Nigeria’s industrialisation and modernisation processes, provide sustained momentum and talent guarantee for China-Nigeria cooperation, and deepen the friendship and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries,” Yu also said.
Other speakers at the event were the representatives of the participants, including the Permanent Secretary, Federal Capital Territory Administration Social Development Secretariat, Bunmi Olowookere; the Special Assistant to the Minister of State, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Atiku Mohammed Kalgo and the Director, Office of the Director-General, Centre for Management Development, Francis Iyanya.”
