My Michael Onjewu, Abuja
Joseph Olasunkami Tegbe, Director-General and Global Liaison for the Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership, emphasized the crucial role of private enterprises from China and Nigeria in fostering a mutually beneficial bilateral relationship between the two countries.
Tegbe made this statement during his keynote address at the 18th China Engineering and Technology Expo, which recently took place in Abuja.
The event brought together stakeholders from Nigeria and China and featured the launch of the Green Development Index in Africa and China, an initiative to promote sustainability and environmentally friendly practices across both regions.
According to Tegbe, private enterprises from both countries will drive growth, development, and prosperity in both nations.
He noted that the Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership Office was created to strengthen bilateral relations through expanded trade and investment, infrastructure development, human capacity building, and technology transfer.
Tegbe urged the business community to take advantage of the partnership, aligning with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu and the Belt and Road Initiative of the Chinese Government.
Earlier in his remarks, Fang Qiuchen, Chairman of the China International Construction Association (CHINCA) said China and Nigeria are collaborating to leverage advanced technologies aimed at enhancing infrastructure development in both nations.
Mr Fang emphasized that green development and the digital economy have emerged as key drivers of economic growth, presenting significant opportunities for collaboration in sustainable infrastructure.
“Both China and Nigeria are actively exploring the use of advanced technologies, such as big data, cloud computing, and AI, to enhance the intelligence and automation of infrastructure. The integration of digital technology with new infrastructure, the blue economy, and agricultural modernization has become a focal point for our cooperation,” he said.
Fang noted that Chinese companies have undertaken substantial infrastructure projects in Nigeria across various sectors, including transportation, power generation, petrochemicals, communications, and industrial investment parks.
“Notable projects include the Lekki Deep Sea Port, Dangote Oil Refinery, Lagos Rail Mass Transit, Lagos International Airport and the Lagos Blue Line Rail. These cooperation projects have contributed greatly to the social and economic development of Nigeria, and greatly strengthened our bilateral relations,” he added.
