Taiwan envies Nigeria’s natural resources – Envoy

The Representative and Chief of Taiwan Mission in Nigeria, Andy Yih-Ping Liu, has expressed admiration for Nigeria’s vast mineral and natural wealth.

Speaking with selected media in Abuja, Liu stated that Taiwan envies the country’s abundant natural resources.

He highlighted Nigeria’s advantages, including its rich mineral and human resources and its freedom from natural disasters like earthquakes, which Taiwan frequently experiences.

“We rely solely on brainpower and human resources to advance as a nation. We don’t have any mineral resources in Taiwan. Since 1960, our government has invested heavily in industries such as shipbuilding, oil refineries, and petrochemicals while also strengthening infrastructure, including railways, highways, and airports,” he said.

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He explained that Taiwan has developed by maximizing imported raw materials for industrial production, creating value-added products, and exporting them to earn revenue.

“Our economic growth is driven by hard work. We do not have natural resources; we must purchase them with international funding, convert them into products, and sell them to repay our loans. This self-reliant development model has made Taiwan a major economic force. By the late 1980s, Taiwan was recognized as one of Asia’s Four Tigers, alongside Hong Kong, Singapore, and South Korea,” Liu noted.

The envoy also praised Nigeria’s democracy, urging other African nations to follow its example.

He called for fair treatment of Taiwan’s diplomatic mission in Nigeria, referencing the relocation of its office from Abuja to Lagos.

Taiwan established its mission in Lagos in 1991 before relocating to Abuja in 2001. However, in January 2017, the Nigerian government requested Taiwan to move the office back to Lagos, where it was re-established in December 2017 as the Taipei Trade Office in Nigeria.

“Nigeria has the best democracy in Africa, a model for other nations on the continent. Taiwan shares the same democratic values. We do not engage in illegal mining.

“We seek more fair treatment from Nigeria and urge the government not to allow any other country to dictate its policies or who to relate with. We hope to have our Mission office returned to Abuja,” Liu appealed.