President Bola Tinubu met Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday in Beijing, with both leaders agreeing to elevate Nigeria-China ties to that of a comprehensive strategic partnership.
The leaders also agreed to build a high-level Nigeria-China community with a shared future.
Tinubu’s official visit precedes his participation in the 2024 summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, scheduled to hold from September 4-6, 2024.
“This is an important visit for Nigeria and the rest of Africa, as I arrive in my capacity as the Chairman of ECOWAS. I thank you for the high-level of honour accorded to us,” said Tinubu.
“Relations between China and Nigeria have indeed lasted for over half a century and should be further strengthened to advance our trade and economic development programmes.
“Nigeria holds great potential as the country with the largest population in Africa and is the biggest economy with a very young population that can drive economic growth and cross-sectoral programmes.
“We have upgraded the relationship to more than what is just strategic — but a comprehensive developmental partnership.
“This comprehensive strategic partnership should result in robust development, stability, and security in the West African sub-region. This is very crucial.”
On economic reforms in Nigeria, Tinubu told his Chinese counterpart that his administration remains committed to sustainable growth.
“We believe that President Xi has demonstrably reformed the Chinese economy, and our reform programme in Nigeria is on a similar course. I am a reformer with verifiable antecedents.
“We have recognized the need to reform our economy, and we are doing so diligently across tax and tariff reviews, to various other segments of our nation’s economy.
“Trading and investment partners will have easy access to bring in their investments and seamlessly take their resources out,” Tinubu stated.
In his remarks, President Xi noted the strong mutual understanding between Nigeria and China since the establishment of diplomatic ties over the past 50 years.
“We have found the path of seeking collective strength, through unity, and win-win cooperation.
“China and Nigeria, as major developing countries, strengthening strategic coordination, will inject fresh impetus to China-Africa relations in the new era and spearhead common progress among Global South countries,” Xi said.
During the meeting, both presidents witnessed the signing of several memoranda of understanding (MOUs) on various areas of mutual interest: a cooperation plan between Nigeria and China on jointly promoting the Belt and Road Initiative; memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the peaceful application of nuclear energy; memorandum of understanding on strengthening cooperation on human resource development under the global development initiative; memorandum of understanding on media exchange and cooperation; and memorandum of understanding between China Media Group and the Nigerian Television Authority.
Earlier, on Monday in Beijing, Tinubu visited the China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC), during which he acknowledged the company’s role as a reliable partner in Nigeria’s infrastructure development programme, commending its ongoing railway projects in the country.
In a separate engagement, Tinubu visited Huawei Technologies’ Beijing Research Centre, where the company announced the launch of DigiTruck, a mobile ICT classroom aimed at enhancing digital literacy in underserved Nigerian communities.
