China, Nigeria Inject Robust Momentum into Bilateral Relations through Collaboration, Says Yan Yuqing

The Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Lagos, Ms. Yan Yuqing, has acknowledged that China and Nigeria injected robust momentum into bilateral relations and Africa’s development through collaboration.

Yuqing in a statement issued on Monday, said that over the past 25 years, China-Africa cooperation had earned widespread acclaim for its “tangible and substantive” outcomes.

She added: “China has helped Africa build or upgrade nearly 100,000 kilometers of roads, and more than 10,000 kilometers of railways. In the past three years alone, Chinese enterprises created more than 1.1 million new jobs in Africa”.

The Consul General stated that practical cooperation has been the engine of China-Nigeria relations, stating ” Mega-projects such as the Lekki Deep Sea Port and four international airport terminals have not only transformed daily life for Nigerians but also stand as testaments to the two countries pioneering role in China-Africa cooperation”.

“At the end of 2024, the Peoples Bank of China and the Central Bank of Nigeria renewed a three-year bilateral currency swap agreement worth 15 billion RMB/3.28 trillion Naira (extendable by mutual consent). The China Development Bank disbursed its first loan of 245 million euros for the Kano-Kaduna Railway.

“Friendship between nations thrives on people-to-people ties. Chinese and Nigerian communities now jointly celebrate festivals such as the Lunar New Year, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, and national anniversaries. Performances by Nigerian artists from the Huaxing Arts Troupefeaturing lion dances, kung fu, waist drumming, and traditional Yoruba-Igbo-Hausa dancesvividly showcase cultural integration, reinforcing the social foundation for a shared China-Nigeria and China-Africa future.

“Looking ahead, as members of a community with a shared future, China and Nigeria will continue advancing equality and mutual benefit, deepening cooperation in industrial and agricultural modernization, digital innovation, AI, and green development.

“Leveraging FOCAC as a platform and prioritizing people-centered progress, the two states will write a new chapter of friendship in the modern era. With joint efforts, China-Nigeria relations will reach greater heights, energising African modernisation and contributing meaningfully to a community with a shared future for mankind”, she added.