The Peoples Republic of China has promised to give more assistance to Nigeria in its quest to industrialize and build adequate power to generate electricity to drive its economy.
Indications to this development emerged during a one-day international seminar for China-Africa cooperation organized by the Center for China Studies in collaboration with the Chinese Foreign Ministry and the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria held in Abuja on Thursday with the theme: “Nigeria-China Relations and the Prospects to Realize Industrial and Production Capacity Co-operation”.
Ambassador of the Peoples Republic of China to Nigeria, Zhou Pingjian in his remarks expressed his country’s willingness to support Nigeria implement its set Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) especially in the power sector, which he noted is imperative for the nation’s industrial development.
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Zhou noted that his country is interested in advancing China-Africa Ten Major Cooperation Plans which focuses on “Belt and Road”.His words, “The Chinese side is willing to comprehensively advance China-Africa Ten Major Cooperation Plans, push forward the implementation of the “Belt and Road” construction in Nigeria and Africa, support Nigeria in well implementing its Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), and support Africa in well implementing the Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”.
The envoy also expressed optimism that upcoming Forum of China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) meeting in Beijing in 2018 will greatly boost China-Africa cooperation in general and China-Nigeria partnership in particular.“The upcoming FOCAC meeting next year in Beijing will be the first of its kind after the 19th CPC National Congress. It is our belief that the Congress will give a fresh boost to China-Africa cooperation and China-Nigeria strategic partnership”.
Speaking earlier, Director of CCS, Charles Onunaiju in his welcome address said that the seminar was apt, coming when vital outcomes of FOCAC summit held in Johannesburg last year were being implemented.
He stated that Chinese President, Xi Jinping pledged cooperation was mostly based on agricultural and industrial modernization adding the $5.5 billion Mambilla power project in Taraba State, being handled by the Chinese is an indication that the ties between the two countries are yielding fruits.
He added that since the 2016 FOCAC summit, enormous fruits of the outcome can be seen all over Africa, including the nearly 10,000km Africa’s first electric railway connecting the bourgeoning-Ethiopia’s industrial heartland to the part of Djibouti.
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The CCS Director said the nearly 200km Abuja-Kaduna Standard gauge railway has been completed, commissioned and already in use with the Lagos-Ibadan-Kano been flagged off. He urged Nigeria to access liquidity from the China-backed Asia Infrastructure and Investment Bank to address its infrastructure deficit.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora matters, Abike Dabiri-Erewa said that Africa’s relation with China has reached a stage it should be win-win situation and not about big colonization.
She lamented that Nigerians are not yet ready to take over from china through technology transfer.
Senate Vice Chairman on Foreign Affairs, Shehu Sani said that China has demonstrated the possibility of deciding its own affairs without interference from any quarters adding that 70 to 80 percent infrastructural development of Nigeria is dependent on China.
Leader of a coalition of Nigeria Women in Business, Joy Nkiru Okpalla made strong case for technology transfer saying that a growing economy like Nigeria with stagnant manufacturing sector was not sustainable.
Innocent Odoh
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