BREAKING NEWS:
Nigeria Commits to Collaboration with China and African Countries for Mutual Benefit
In a groundbreaking development, Vice President Kashim Shettima announced today that Nigeria is fully committed to collaborating with China and other African countries to ensure the success of their partnership. Speaking at the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, Shettima represented President Bola Tinubu at the China-Africa Leaders’ Roundtable Dialogue Meeting, where he emphasized Nigeria’s support for the new initiatives introduced by China.
The Vice President expressed Nigeria’s appreciation for China’s efforts to modernize Africa’s agriculture and agribusiness sectors, facilitate regional integration, and promote industrialization and infrastructure expansion in Africa. He highlighted the alignment between these initiatives and Nigeria’s national development aspirations, as well as the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030.
Shettima addressed a wide audience at the Sandton Convention Centre, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and African leaders. He commended the existing partnership between China and Africa, especially the three newly identified priority areas of cooperation in agriculture, industrialization, and human capacity development.
Furthermore, Shettima lauded China’s commitment and expressed Nigeria’s eagerness to collaborate closely with Chinese authorities, the African Union, and all stakeholders. He envisioned that their collective efforts would take the Africa-China comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership to unprecedented heights, driven by their mutual pursuit of economic prosperity.
In addition, the Vice President identified critical areas for collaboration between Africa and China, emphasizing the need for synergy among national institutions responsible for formulating and implementing policies in the priority areas. He also stressed the importance of financing Africa’s infrastructure, particularly focusing on key components such as transportation corridors, railway networks, power generation, and airport enhancements.
Shettima also highlighted Nigeria’s priority in maintaining relations with the global south and the country’s commitment to South-South Cooperation. He acknowledged the challenges faced by the Global South, including climate change, transnational crime, terrorism, cyberattacks, youth unemployment, and natural disasters. He emphasized the opportunity to reassess these challenges collectively and find viable solutions with the help of partners.
In response to African leaders’ concerns, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged the launch of initiatives to support Africa’s industrialization and agricultural modernization, further solidifying the partnership.
Vice President Shettima was accompanied by Nigeria’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Amb. Muhammad Haruna Manta, the Consul-General, Amb. Andrew Idi, and other senior government officials at the event.
This collaboration marks a significant milestone in Nigeria’s pursuit of economic development and reinforces the enduring relationship between China, Africa, and Nigeria. Stay tuned for more updates on this historic partnership.
