President Bola Tinubu has said again that Nigeria is fully committed to improving its relationship with China, with a focus on trade, energy, infrastructure, and finance. In an opinion piece that came out on September 5, 2024, in *China Daily*, Tinubu talked about how the relationship between the two countries was growing and how he was hopeful for the future. He talked about how impressive it was that trade between the two countries hit $22.6 billion the previous year and said that he was sure this economic cooperation would continue to grow.
Tinubu talked about how important it was that Nigeria and China have a lot in common, like having big, growing economies and a lot of natural and people resources. He said that because of their growing economies and rich cultures, both countries could become major players in the world stage. Tinubu thinks that Nigeria and China can strengthen their strategic partnership by building on these areas where they are similar. This would be good for both countries’ economies and their impact around the world.
Tinubu’s speech was mostly about building up infrastructure, which is an area where China has played a big role in Nigeria. Chinese companies have put a lot of money into Nigeria’s infrastructure over the years, helping to build roads, trains, and energy projects. Tinubu recognised China’s help in this area and emphasised how important it was to keep working together to meet Nigeria’s growing building needs. Nigeria has the biggest economy in Africa, so it needs a lot of infrastructure to support its people and its business. China has been a good partner in helping Nigeria deal with these problems.
Tinubu also thinks that trade between Nigeria and China has a lot of room to grow. He said that the $22.6 billion in trade that happened the previous year is a good start, but there is still room for growth. Tinubu told leaders of both countries that they should look for new possibilities in areas like technology, agriculture, and manufacturing. Tinubu thinks that by making trade ties stronger, Nigeria can send more goods to China and get more goods and capital from China, which would help Nigeria’s economy grow and make its market more diverse.
Nigeria’s relationship with China is also very much based on the banking sector. Tinubu talked about how important it is to work together on finance, especially when it comes to getting Chinese money to invest in long-term projects that will help Nigeria’s economy in the long run. He said that energy projects should be a big focus, especially green energy, where China has made a lot of progress. Nigeria’s need for energy is growing, so Tinubu emphasised the need to keep working together in this area to make sure the country has a stable energy future.
The op-ed by President Tinubu shows that his government wants to build stronger ties with China. Tinubu wants to build a relationship that is good for both countries by focussing on important areas like trade, energy, infrastructure, and finances. He was sure that the friendship between Nigeria and China would continue to grow, which would be good for both countries’ economies in the years to come. China will continue to be an important ally for Nigeria as it looks to the future and reaches its growth goals.