•Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai
In this exclusive interview, Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, YU DUNHAI, evaluates the state of Nigeria-China relations, highlighting key achievements and future prospects, reports Saturday Tribune.
Excerpts:
China-Nigeria relations have evolved significantly in recent years. What would you highlight as the most transformative achievements?
In recent years, China-Nigeria relations have reached new heights. The most transformative achievements can be categorized into three aspects. The first is a new leap in our bilateral relations. During President Bola Tinubu’s state visit to China and his attendance at the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), the two heads of states jointly announced the upgrading of China-Nigeria relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
The second is the establishment of a new platform. The first Plenary Session of the China-Nigeria Intergovernmental Committee was a huge success, leading to better coordination and cooperation between both nations.
The third is a new high in our international cooperation. Both sides have been working closely in international and regional affairs, especially in advancing the collective rise and resurgence of the Global South.
What is particularly important is that in the Joint Statement on Establishing a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and Building a High-level China-Nigeria Community With a Shared Future released by China and Nigeria, Nigeria reaffirmed its firm adherence to the one-China principle.
Nigeria acknowledges that there is but one China in the world, and the Government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China, and Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory. Nigeria opposes any form of ‘Taiwan Independence’ or interference in the internal affairs of China and firmly supports all efforts made by the Chinese government to achieve national reunification.
This commitment reflects Nigeria’s strong support for the one-China principle, laying a solid foundation for the high-level development of China-Nigeria comprehensive strategic partnership.
As a key partner in the Belt and Road Initiative, what new opportunities can Nigerians expect from this partnership?
Nigeria became a staunch partner of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) after formally joining it in 2018. In October 2023, Vice President Kashim Shettima, on behalf of President Tinubu, attended the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held in China. A year later, in September 2024, China and Nigeria signed the Cooperation Plan on Jointly Promoting the Building of the Belt and Road Initiative. Over the past seven years, there have been many highlights in our efforts to promote BRI cooperation. For example, projects such as railways, roads, ports, airports, power stations, and communication backbone networks have been delivered, demonstrating that China-Nigeria cooperation is the forerunner to China-Africa cooperation. Looking ahead, we will strengthen the alignment of our development strategies, integrate the outcomes of BRI and FOCAC into President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and Eight Priority Areas, and nurture new growth areas for our cooperation in infrastructure connectivity, monetary and financial collaboration, trade facilitation, industrial park development, and people-to-people exchanges.
What concrete steps are being taken by the Chinese side to create a more balanced and mutually beneficial trade relationship between China and Nigeria?
China never pursues a trade surplus, but is instead eager to share the benefits of its vast market. We are now actively facilitating Nigeria’s export of its competitive products to China through what we call ‘the green channel’, which is designed for African countries’ agro-products entering the Chinese market. Furthermore, during the FOCAC Summit in Beijing, the two heads of states saw the signing of bilateral cooperation document for the export of Nigeria’s peanuts to China. Since then, peanuts after cassia seed and sesame have become Nigeria’s third-most important export to China. On top of that, we welcome Nigerian products entering the Chinese market through platforms like the China International Import Expo and the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo, as well as emerging channels such as e-commerce and overseas warehouses in China.
Chinese investments have played a crucial role in Nigeria’s infrastructure, from railways to energy projects. What mechanisms are in place to ensure these projects contribute to long-term economic growth and local job creation?
In recent years, Chinese enterprises have been deeply involved in Nigeria’s economic and social development. They have helped the local economic transformation and employment structure improvement. I use the Abuja Metro Rail System as an example. It is a light rail that was constructed to a high standard by Chinese enterprises. The railway system not only improves urban transportation and creates thousands of jobs through its localised operation, but also promotes the coordinated development of industries such as steel and cement. Another example is the Lekki Free Trade Zone and the Ogun-Guangdong Free Trade Zone. With the favourable tax policies and ‘one-stop’ service model, they have attracted a huge number of Chinese businesses, promoting concentrated growth of the manufacturing and logistics industries. These Free Trade Zones have unleashed regional economic vitality by creating over 20,000 jobs and bringing direct and indirect investments totaling $2.6 billion. Almost all Chinese enterprises employ a substantial number of locals, who in some cases can even outnumber Chinese employees.
Furthermore, China actively shares advanced technologies and management experience in fields such as railways, ports, and clean energy, particularly through technology transfer, skilled professional training, and the formation of local operation teams. All of these have created the groundwork for long-term, consistent, and stable growth of Nigeria’s economy.
Beyond infrastructure, what specific initiatives is China supporting to boost Nigeria’s industrialisation, digital economy, and technology transfer?
Just as you mentioned, infrastructure connectivity is of great importance, but it is not the only aspect of China-Nigeria cooperation. In recent years, a series of initiatives launched by the Chinese government to support Africa, including the Initiative on Supporting Industrialization in Africa, the Plan for China Supporting Africa’s Agricultural Modernisation, and the Plan for China-Africa Cooperation on Talent Development, have formed the top-level framework for China-Nigeria cooperation in industrialisation, the digital economy, and talent cultivation.
For instance, CCECC, a Chinese state-owned enterprise, has sponsored 194 Nigerian professionals, while Huawei, a leading Chinese high-tech company, trained over 700,000 Nigerian ICT professionals during 2019 to 2024.
Beyond that, during President Tinubu’s state visit to China last year, both sides reached a broad consensus on expanding cooperation in the digital economy, green development, the blue economy, and agricultural modernization, leveraging the opportunity for productive force growth. Additionally, Nigeria has also warmly embraced the Global Artificial Intelligence Governance Initiative and the Global Data Security Initiative, both proposed by China.
Looking ahead, what are the top priorities for China-Nigeria cooperation in the next decade, particularly in emerging sectors like renewable energy, manufacturing, and AI-driven technology?
China is willing to implement our joint programs in both traditional and emerging sectors through the China-Nigeria Intergovernmental Committee, BRI, FOCAC, BRICS, and other bilateral and multilateral mechanisms, enabling us to pursue modernization together.
To be more specific, in the field of renewable energy, China and Nigeria can work together to address power shortages through solar and wind energy solutions. Additionally, leveraging Nigeria’s abundant lithium deposits, both countries can collaborate on boosting lithium battery manufacturing and developing advanced energy storage technologies.
China is also willing to support Nigeria in improving energy efficiency by upgrading its power grid infrastructure. In the manufacturing sector, China is prepared to encourage more Chinese enterprises to establish manufacturing bases in Nigeria, producing electronic devices, machinery, and other industrial equipment to drive the country’s industrialisation. Furthermore, China aims to provide greater support for manufacturing by investing in Nigeria’s infrastructure, including transportation, energy, water conservancy and more. China will also harness the potential of AI-driven technologies to enhance Nigeria’s agricultural productivity, improving both crop yields and quality. Last but not least, China will take proactive steps to support Nigeria in developing smart cities, where citizens will benefit from improved transportation, energy, and public services, as well as more efficient medical diagnostics.
Debt sustainability has been a widely discussed issue regarding Chinese loans to African nations. How does China ensure that its financing model remains fair, transparent, and sustainable for Nigeria?
Committed to the concepts of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith, China initiates financing cooperation with African countries based on their needs and acts on the principles of fairness, transparency and sustainability. To ensure that all cooperation is mutually beneficial and free of any attached political conditions, China follows the international rules and laws of financed countries, respects their development needs, and provides financing support in accordance with their national conditions and development stage. Meanwhile, on the basis of openness and transparency, China works to make project details, funding utilisation, and repayment terms explicit while establishing multilateral mechanisms to increase the transparency of our cooperation.
Moreover, China places great importance on debt sustainability. Accurately evaluating borrowers’ debt-carrying capacity, China can ensure the economic and social benefits of projects while avoiding a huge debt burden on the borrowers. Beyond actively participating in international debt relief initiatives, China helps developing countries cope with debt pressure.
Through the China-Africa Development Fund, China also encourages Chinese enterprises to invest in Africa and promote Africa’s self-reliance through market-driven approaches without increasing its debt burden.
Could you elaborate on the educational cooperation between China and Nigeria?
Over the years, China and Nigeria have achieved remarkable results in educational cooperation. For the past several years, the number of Nigerian students studying in China has exceeded 5,000. Meanwhile, Chinese students have been actively pursuing courses in schools such as the University of Ibadan. Two Confucius Institutes were created collaboratively by universities on both sides. Chinese language teaching centers were established at both the University of Nigeria and the University of Abuja. ‘Chinese Corner’ in 13 public senior high schools in the Federal Capital Territory serves as essential venues for Nigerian students to learn Chinese.
Aside from educational cooperation, both sides have actively pursued the integration of industry and education. For example, the Chinese side partnered with the University of Abuja to build the Luban Workshop, where Chinese enterprises in Nigeria train local skilled workers, increasing student employment and strengthening employees’ professional abilities.
The Nigerian Ministry of Education and the CCECC signed an agreement to cooperatively promote vocational and technical education in Nigeria.
We are confident that our educational collaboration will serve as a model for cultural exchanges between China and Africa, injecting sustained momentum into the high-level China-Nigeria community with a shared future.
How is China promoting better people-to-people exchanges?
China attaches great importance to people-to-people exchanges and cooperation and regards these as an important bond of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between China and Nigeria. In recent years, cultural brands jointly launched by China and Nigeria, such as Happy Chinese New Year, China-Nigeria Culture Week, China-Nigeria Film Festival and Good Partners of China and Nigeria, have sparked a wave of enthusiasm for Chinese culture in Nigeria. Meanwhile, the co-broadcasting of Chinese films and TV dramas by television institutions from both countries has portrayed an authentic Chinese society for Nigerian audiences who have, therefore, gained a better understanding of China. StarTimes has been providing satellite television services to millions of Nigerian households, including those in rural areas. China and Nigeria have been transcending our cultural differences by the bridge of mutual learning, especially multi-dimensional and multi-level cultural exchanges. All of these efforts have finally consolidated public support for the steady and sustained development of China-Nigeria relations.
How can both countries work together to address concerns related to trade policies, local job creation, and security cooperation?
China and Nigeria have strong economic complementarity. However, to reduce its dependence on primary product exports, Nigeria should shift toward the export of high-value-added goods. We are facilitating the expansion of Nigeria’s exports of high-quality agricultural products, such as sesame and cocoa, to China through platforms like the China International Import Expo. In the meantime, we encourage Chinese renewable energy and home appliance enterprises to invest in and establish factories within Nigeria’s free trade zones, leveraging local raw materials and providing technical training to Nigerian workers to accelerate Nigeria’s industrialisation.
The primary objective of Chinese enterprises entering Nigeria’s market is never to outcompete local businesses but to foster partnerships that drive mutual growth.
We actively support Chinese-Nigerian joint ventures, such as the Dangote Group’s collaboration with Chinese companies, to facilitate technology transfer, share expertise, and create employment opportunities. Only through this approach can we transform competition into cooperation and accelerate shared progress. When it comes to security, China stands ready to collaborate with Nigeria in implementing the Global Security Initiative (GSI).
As an African proverb says, ‘If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together’. China-Nigeria cooperation is not a zero-sum game but a partnership built on mutual benefits. China is committed to working with Nigeria to explore a new model for South-South cooperation, ensuring that the people of both nations enjoy dignity and greater development opportunities. Together, we can deepen our comprehensive strategic partnership and build a high-level community with a shared future.
