Vice-President Kashim Shettima has said Nigeria remains committed to collaborating with China and other African countries to ensure that the partnership’s objectives are achieved for the mutual benefit of both parties.
The Vice President stated this when he represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the BRICS Summit, in Johannesburg at the China-Africa Leaders’ Roundtable Dialogue Meeting on the margins of the BRICS Summit, Johannesburg, South Africa.
According to him, “Nigeria welcomes the new initiatives introduced by the Chinese authorities, which include supporting and promoting the modernization of Africa’s agriculture and agribusiness sectors; providing robust support for Africa to expedite regional integration and backing Africa’s industrialization and infrastructure expansion.”
Shettima spoke to a large audience including President Xi Jinping of China and some African leaders on the theme “Promoting African Integration and Jointly Building a High-Level Africa-China Community with a Shared Future” at the Sandton Convention Centre.
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Senator Shettima, in a statement Friday by Olusola Abiola, Director Information, Office of the Vice President, commended the existing partnership between China and Africa particularly “the three newly identified initiatives and priority areas of cooperation, between China and Africa in the areas of agriculture, industrialization, and human capacity development.
He said these align with the “Renewed Hope” mantra of Tinubu administration, the African Union’s Agenda 2063, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030”, adding that “they are relevant to our continental and national development aspirations.”
The Vice President also praised the commitment of China, stating that “Nigeria firmly endorses China and anticipates forging a close collaboration with the Chinese authorities, the African Union, and all stakeholders.”
He envisioned that this collective efforts will elevate the Africa-China comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership to unprecedented heights, driven by our mutual pursuit of economic prosperity.
The VP also stressed the importance of “financing Africa’s Infrastructure, with a focus on advancing key infrastructural components like Farm-to-Market Corridors, Farm-to-Ports Corridors, Export Transport Corridors, Railway Networks, Road Network Upgrades and Expansions, Airport Enhancements, including dedicated export-oriented airports, Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution.”
In his address, the President of China and co-chair of the Dialogue, Xi Jinping pledged to African leaders who attended the meeting on the sidelines of the Summit that China would launch initiatives to support Africa’s industrialization and agricultural modernization.
