By Faith Anisiobi, The Sight News
Nigeria and China have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership through expanded cooperation in trade, investment, infrastructure, technology and other key sectors.
The commitment was made when the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Dunoma Umar Ahmed, received a delegation from the People’s Republic of China led by Vice Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Ambassador Liu Jieyi, in Abuja on September 21, 2026.
The meeting reviewed bilateral relations between both countries and explored emerging areas of cooperation, including artificial intelligence, green and renewable energy, and digital technology.
Speaking on economic relations, Ahmed called for increased bilateral trade and greater Chinese investment in Nigeria’s manufacturing and industrial sectors.
He said the Federal Government was seeking to move beyond the export of raw materials by promoting greater value addition and domestic manufacturing to create jobs, strengthen productive capacity and expand exports of finished products.
The Permanent Secretary also encouraged Chinese companies to take advantage of Nigeria’s Special Economic Zones and increase investment in the manufacturing sector, noting that increased investment would strengthen Nigeria’s productive capacity and position the country as a gateway to the wider African market.
Ahmed welcomed continued Chinese support for Nigeria’s development agenda, particularly in promoting peace and security, social stability and economic development.
He reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to multilateralism and stressed the importance of continued cooperation between Nigeria and China in addressing regional and international issues.
On his part, Ambassador Jieyi underscored the cordial relations between Nigeria and China and the need to deepen bilateral ties in line with the visions of both countries, the Sustainable Development Goals and the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).
He highlighted the importance of institutional mechanisms for strengthening bilateral consultations and coordination, particularly the China-Nigeria consultative mechanism, which facilitates exchanges, policy discussions and cooperation between relevant institutions.
The meeting also identified the need to translate opportunities in emerging sectors into practical initiatives capable of delivering tangible benefits to the peoples of both countries.
Both sides reaffirmed their readiness to identify priority areas within the bilateral partnership and establish clear implementation frameworks for existing engagements, with a view to advancing development and mutual prosperity.
