Says China has pulled Nigeria up through infrastructure
By Becky Adi
Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed has praised the growing relationship between China and Nigeria especially in the area of infrastructural development noting that China has pulled Nigeria up.
While speaking in an exclusive interview with a group of Chinese journalists in his office in Abuja, Lai Mohammed lauded the cooperation between Nigeria and China noting that it was “loudable and very commendable especially in the area of infrastructure”
He observed that China has pulled Nigeria up in critical areas of development for which the country was grateful.
” China has stretch its hand to pull us up and we are glad, whether we talk about Lagos to Ibadan railway, Porthacourt and Maiduguri railway, Kano , Kaduna railway I think the Chinese government and Chinese companies have been quite prominent in deepening our infrastructural development”
On criticism over the loans and the fear of a debt trap, the Minister said that it was not the taking of loans that was the problem but what the loan was used for noting that since the loan was being used for infrastructural development there was no reason to fear since revenues from the infrastructure would contribute to paying off the loan.
“We have reasons to be proud of the relationship between us and China especially in areas of infrastructure and we are not bordered over criticism or debt trap” he said.
Giving an insight into the infrastructural problems in the country he noted that it took Nigeria 35 years to complete the Ajaokuta, Itakpe Warri railway line which is about 326km whereas it took the present administration working with the Chinese government less than 4years to finish the 156km dual standard gauges from Lagos to Ibadan.
“The difference is clear those who are accusing the Federal Government of borrowing money from China should look at the result. There is nothing wrong in borrowing as long as you are using the money to invest in infrastructure, which in 50yrs time when many of us won’t be around would be enjoyed by our children which will remain the backbone for our economic development”
“Anywhere in the world that they don’t have infrastructure can never grow, so we are not bordered by the cacophonies of voices about the borrowings from China” he said.
“The money we are borrowing people see what we are doing with it. That is why we are commissioning projects, if not because of Covid-19 Mr. President can go on commission project every week” .
We are not bordered about people who are complaining about borrowing, we are borrowing for a purpose every country borrows it is what we are doing with the borrowing that matters, we are very proud of our relationship with China, because this is the first time an administration will start a project and complete it.
We will borrow and our children will pay but our children will also use that to make money, for the economy to grow.
Today with the Lagos Ibadan standard gauge you can get to Ibadan from Lagos within 2 hours, safe and in comfort. So we have no apology that we have borrowed money, we have no apology with our relationship with China because we are using the money for good and we hope our relationship with China will continue to grow” he said.
