Efforts to broaden defence collaboration between China and Nigeria received a fresh boost on Thursday as the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, paid a courtesy visit to Rear Admiral A. Ahmed, Commandant of the National Defence College (NDC), in Abuja.
The meeting, also attended by Senior Colonel Ouyang Haisheng, Defence Attaché of the Chinese Embassy, centred on advancing strategic cooperation following the recent elevation of bilateral ties between both nations.
Ambassador Yu noted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s state visit to China in September 2024 and his participation in the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) marked a turning point in China–Nigeria relations.
“The two countries agreed to upgrade their partnership to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, ushering in a new era of cooperation spanning security, trade, infrastructure, and human capital development,” he said.
Yu highlighted defence and security collaboration as a priority under the new partnership framework. He reaffirmed China’s willingness to intensify joint efforts with Nigeria in counter-terrorism, intelligence sharing, and security capacity development. He added that China is prepared to expand training programmes and academic exchanges with the National Defence College to support Nigeria’s security architecture.
Rear Admiral Ahmed, in response, commended China’s long-standing support for Nigeria’s development and its consistent engagement with the Nigerian Armed Forces. He said cooperation between both militaries has grown in depth and relevance, particularly in training and strategic studies.
He expressed optimism that renewed engagements with Chinese defence institutions, including the National Defense University of the People’s Liberation Army, would further enrich the College’s curriculum and strengthen its global partnerships.
, in Abuja.){kind=link}