Why China is partnering Nigeria on development – Amb Yu

The People’s Republic of China has reiterated why it has continued to partner Nigeria in its development efforts.

The Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, disclosed this during the occasion to commemorate the 75th Independence Anniversary of China in Abuja.

He said Nigeria and China have so much in common as both countries are proud of their splendid cultures, hardworking and kind-hearted people, and tremendous development potential.

He added that both countries shared the same national day on October 1, which is a unique bond linking them while both are “ancient yet young countries” and “marching forward with confidence toward modernization.”

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He continued, “In Nigeria, there is a proverb. You can go fast if you go alone; you can go far if you go together.

“China would be proud to be a great partner with Nigeria on our way to achieving common development and modernization.”

He recalled that during the just concluded Forum for China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing, Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping had successful discussions and decided to upgrade the China-Nigeria relations to that of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and signed over 10 cooperation documents.

“Going forward, we aim to jointly build more roads, railways, airports, power grids and base stations, and will witness their extensions to your beloved communities and hometowns,” he said.

‘We will also have more blue and green projects targeting future development, which will contribute to a happier and brighter future for Nigerians.”

The envoy who recalled his first encounter with Nigeria as an undergraduate during during the country’s victory at the Olympic Games in 1996, described Nigeria as a great country that he never dreamed to become an ambassador.

He said over the past 75 years, China witnessed profound and transformative changes lifting Over 100 million people out of poverty on an average of 10 million people per a year.

“The living standards of Chinese people have grown from bare subsistence to moderate prosperity, while China has moved from weakness and poverty to strength and prosperity, achieving the twin miracles of rapid economic development and long-term social stability in human history,” he said.

“Between 2013 and 2023, China contributed over 30 percent on average to global economic growth, making it the largest driving force for the world economy.”

The ceremony had in attendance the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, ministers, senators, governors, members of the House of Representatives, members of the diplomatic community, international organisations and the business community.