Nigeria and China Move to Deepen Strategic Partnership, Boost Trade and Investment

The Director-General of the Nigeria–China Strategic Partnership (NCSP), Mr. Joseph Tegbe, has hosted a high-level delegation from the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, as both sides agreed to strengthen bilateral relations and expand economic cooperation.

The delegation was led by Mr. Zhou Hongyou, Charge d’Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, and included Mr Wang Yingqi, Minister Counsellor for Economic and Commercial Affairs, alongside other senior embassy officials.

Welcoming the delegation, Mr. Tegbe reaffirmed Nigeria’s unwavering commitment to its Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with China and reiterated the country’s adherence to the One-China principle. He outlined Nigeria’s ambition to significantly expand bilateral trade, targeting a trade volume of 350 billion RMB, equivalent to about $50 billion, by 2030.

He said Nigeria aims for exports to account for at least 30 per cent of total trade volume, a goal to be supported by the proposed zero-tariff policy and a substantial increase in the export of agricultural produce. Tegbe also stressed the importance of deeper strategic economic collaboration to drive sustainable growth for Nigerian businesses.

Mr Zhou expressed satisfaction with the growing relationship between Nigeria and China and underscored the need to explore additional avenues for strengthening economic and commercial cooperation, particularly in technology, agriculture and human capacity development. He said he was optimistic that the zero-tariff agreement would unlock significant opportunities for Nigerian businesses, boost bilateral trade and further consolidate the already strong ties between both countries.

The Chinese Embassy also expressed support for Nigeria’s industrialisation agenda, with particular emphasis on steel development and the agricultural sector. The delegation reaffirmed China’s commitment to ongoing development projects across Nigeria, in alignment with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.

On behalf of the government and people of Nigeria, Mr Tegbe congratulated the Chinese people ahead of the Chinese Spring Festival marking the new Lunar Year. He reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to deepening cultural, diplomatic and economic relations with the People’s Republic of China, with a view to building a more robust, sustainable and mutually beneficial Nigeria–China partnership.