On Monday, the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Cui Jianchun, made a commitment to provide necessary assistance to the Federal Government led by President Bola Tinubu, in order to facilitate the progress and growth of the country.
During a meeting with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, Jianchun expressed his assurance that China would support Nigeria by sharing proven development approaches that would improve the lives of Nigerians.
As per a statement from the Director of Information at the OSGF, Willie Bassey, Jianchun presented three documents outlining potential developmental strategies that Nigeria could consider adopting.
The statement partly read, “The Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Cui Jianchun, while presenting three documents to the SGF, assured Nigeria of the commitment of the government of the People’s Republic of China to support the administration of Bola Tinubu with the workable development strategies that would turn around the nation’s fortune.
“According to him, the documents contain a developmental strategy that serves as a blueprint for the development of the country. He emphasised the strategies would cover the following areas: Infrastructure, ICT, industrialisation investment, security, technology, and agriculture, among others.
“He expressed his readiness and commitment to work with the present administration and further deepen the bilateral relations between the two nations.”
Akume, in response, provided assurance to the Chinese government regarding the Federal Government’s dedication to maintaining strong bilateral relations for the purpose of enhancing development.
He acknowledged the existing robust ties between Nigeria and China in various sectors such as infrastructure, trade, and agriculture, and urged the Chinese government to increase their investments in Nigeria to support the current administration in achieving its goals.
Akume said, “We want to thank your country for the massive investment in the areas of infrastructure in this country. Nigeria got a soft loan from your country and carefully invested in rail transportation and road transportation. The differences are becoming quite clear.
“And we expect more investments and I believe that is why you are here with your businessmen as well. Any assistance you are giving us, we will step up because of the desire of the present government to do a lot. We will be expecting support from you from time to time.”
Akume expressed his gratitude to the Chinese government for the scholarships granted to young Nigerians to pursue their studies in China.
He took the opportunity to make a request for additional scholarships, emphasizing the importance of enabling more Nigerians to have the opportunity to study in China.
“You won’t regret it; before you know it, you will find many Nigerians speaking your language. We look forward to the time we will also establish faculties in Nigerian universities where the Chinese language would be taught to students,” Akume said.
