The Nation Newspaper

Tag: China-Africa cooperation

  • China-Africa Cooperation: Writing a New Chapter of Win-Win Cooperation Together 

    China-Africa Cooperation: Writing a New Chapter of Win-Win Cooperation Together 

    In today’s wave of globalization, international cooperation is crucial for the development of all countries. As an important force among developing countries, China and Africa are closely cooperating to write a new chapter of mutual benefit and win-win outcomes. Recently, the Fourth China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo was held in Changsha, Hunan, once again attracting the world’s attention. 

    The expo was unprecedented in scale, with participation from 53 African countries, 11 international organizations, 27 Chinese provinces and municipalities, and over 4,700 Chinese and African enterprises, business associations, and financial institutions, attracting more than 30,000 participants. When Africa’s agricultural products, beauty and fashion items, and jewelry traveled across the ocean to meet China’s daily necessities, engineering machinery, and medical devices, it was not only a feast of goods but also a vivid embodiment of the multifaceted efforts of China-Africa cooperation. 

    From a trade perspective, China has maintained its position as Africa’s largest trading partner for several consecutive years. In 2024 alone, the China-Africa trade volume reached a staggering $295.6 billion, setting a historical record for four consecutive years. The China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo has played a key bridging role in this process, greatly promoting the diversification of trade. High-quality specialty agricultural products and handicrafts from Africa have continuously entered the Chinese market, enriching the choices available to Chinese consumers. 

    At the same time, China’s technological products and machinery are also very popular in the African market, injecting strong momentum into Africa’s development. For example, the demand for Ethiopian coffee in the Chinese market has been steadily rising, providing vast market space for Ethiopian coffee exporters. Additionally, China’s 5G technology and photovoltaic power station projects have taken root in many parts of Africa, significantly promoting the development of Africa’s digital economy and green energy transition. 

    In the investment sector, over the past five years, direct investment from Chinese enterprises in Africa has averaged over $3 billion annually. Many Chinese companies have actively responded by diversifying their investments across Africa, establishing numerous industrial parks that have created a large number of job opportunities and promoted industrial clustering and upgrading. Some enterprises have also engaged in infrastructure construction, improving transportation and communication conditions in Africa and laying a solid foundation for the continent’s long-term development. 

    Read Also: Diaspora group commiserates with Makinde over death of ex-Nigerian High Commissioner

    From infrastructure construction to the digital economy, from green development to financial cooperation, the fields of China-Africa cooperation are continuously expanding and deepening. In terms of infrastructure, China has assisted Africa in constructing numerous roads, railways, ports, and other projects, greatly improving connectivity across the continent. In the digital economy sector, Chinese companies have built multiple large data centers in Africa, accelerating the continent’s digitalization process. In green development, the photovoltaic power stations built through China-Africa cooperation provide clean electricity to millions of households in Africa, aiding the continent’s green transition. 

    It can be said that the prospects for China-Africa cooperation are bright. With China proposing to implement zero tariffs on 100% of tariff items for the 53 African countries with which it has diplomatic relations, the threshold for African products entering the Chinese market will be further lowered, bringing more opportunities for African enterprises. 

    The cooperation between China and Africa is a model of South-South cooperation, based on equality, mutual benefit, and win-win collaboration. In this era filled with challenges and opportunities, China-Africa cooperation not only aligns with the fundamental interests of both sides but also sets an example for many developing countries. We look forward to China-Africa cooperation achieving new and brilliant accomplishments, jointly building a better future.

  • Chinese Minister: My visit to Nigeria aims to deepen China-Africa cooperation

    Chinese Minister: My visit to Nigeria aims to deepen China-Africa cooperation

    The Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China, Wang Yi, stated on Thursday that his visit to Nigeria is to discuss how to deliver on the understandings reached at the September 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.

    Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, affirmed that the country will adhere to the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding with China.

    The Chinese Foreign Minister is also meeting with President Bola Tinubu during his visit.

    Wang Yi, who is visiting other African countries, emphasized that his trip is in line with the tradition of visiting Africa as the first overseas destination in the New Year.

    He maintained that the essence of the visit was to discuss how to implement the ten partnership actions agreed upon at the FOCAC Beijing meeting and expressed optimism that the meeting would produce new common understandings between both countries.

    Wang said: “My visit this time is to further the tradition of the Chinese foreign minister visiting Africa as the first overseas visit of the New Year.

    “It is also to discuss with my African friends how to deliver on the important common understandings reached at the FOCAC Beijing meeting, Nigeria, in particular the 10 partnership actions, and to provide new substance to our comprehensive strategic partnership. I’m sure that our meeting today will produce new common understandings and that you and your colleagues will continue to work for the growth of our relations.”

     The visiting Foreign Minister who is also a Member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China also acknowledged the role of Nigeria in Africa.

    He was also optimistic that both countries will continue to understand and support each other on issues concerning their respective core interests in pursuit of development and vitalisation, for mutual benefit.

    He said: “Nigeria is a major African country with global influence. It is an important member of the global South. As we work for Africa’s peace and development, Nigeria plays an irreplaceable and important role.

    “China has all along viewed and developed relations with Nigeria from a strategic height and a long-term perspective, hoping to further our solidarity and cooperation. We will continue to understand and support each other on issues concerning our respective core interests, and as we both pursue development and vitalisation, continue to pursue cooperation for mutual benefit. Under the guidance of our two presidents, we have achieved abundant fruits in our cooperation across the board, delivering real benefits to our two people.

    “Last year, Mr. Foreign Minister paid an official visit to China. In Beijing, the first plenary meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee between our two countries was held. We planned our mutually beneficial cooperation across the board.

    “You made important contributions to the success of the meeting. And then in September, President Tinubu visited China for the FOCAC Beijing Summit and paid a state visit. It was a full success.

    “Our two sides agreed to elevate our relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership, ushering in new and brighter prospects for our relations. Nigeria made important contributions to the success of the FOCAC Beijing Summit and China commended.”

    Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tuggar on his part reinstated the country’s determination to keep to the terms of the Memorandum of Understandings reached with China in September 2024. 

    Tuggar said the MoUs are currently at various stages of implementation.

    The Minister also expressed continued support for China, including the One China Principle.

    He stated this during a meeting with the visiting Chinese Foreign Affairs Minister, Wang Yi in Abuja.

    Tuggar said both countries shared a rich history and mutual respect.

    Tuggar said: “You have mutual respect and a shared commitment to advancing peace, stability, and prosperity. More so, our cooperation has yielded fruitful results.

    “More so, our cooperation has yielded fruitful results in various fields including trade, investment, infrastructure development, and cultural exchange. As we explore new avenues for collaboration, I wish to acknowledge China’s remarkable progress in economic development, technological innovation, and global leadership.

    “Nigeria, too, is undergoing significant transformations driven by our vision to become a more prosperous, peaceful, and egalitarian nation.

    Read Also: Tinubu urges mutually beneficial China-Africa cooperation

    “Consequently, during our discussions, I look forward to exploring avenues to deepen our bilateral engagement, particularly in areas such as trade facilitation, capacity building, and people-to-people exchanges.

    “I am confident that our deliberations will yield meaningful outcomes in fostering a brighter future for our nations and our peoples.

    “Your Excellency would always be certain of Nigeria’s commitment to supporting the One China Principle and assured of our continued support for China on the international stage.

    “The almost intuitive nature of Nigeria’s diplomatic relationship and continuous collaboration with China has been devoid of disputes, bringing about substantial benefits to both countries.

    “In addition, Nigeria recognises and appreciates the high-level visits between the officials of the two countries that have helped in shaping and strengthening this existing relationship between both countries.”

  • The China largesse

    When was the last time a British Prime Minister embarked on a meaningful visit to Nigeria, Britain’s major former colonial outpost? When was the last time leaders of the most advanced Western nations like Germany, France and even the United States of America do the rounds of Africa in a seeming relay?

    This happened recently and we wager it’s not by chance. As China hosted 52 African countries early September in Beijing for the 7th Forum of China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), the entire world watched in part apprehension and part bemusement. This is because, at each new summit, China sets new standards in multilateral relations and economic co-operation between a first world nation and a straggling African continent.

    FOCAC which started in 2000 has continued to wax stronger both in terms of quality of participation and quantum of benefits accruing to African countries. With the theme: “China and Africa: Towards an Even Stronger Community with Shared Future Through Win-Win Cooperation,” Chinese President, Xi Jinping announced a unprecedented bumper basket of financial assistance from his country totaling $60 billion over the next three years.

    This huge outlay of funds must have made the jaws of not a few Western nations drop considering their tokenistic aids to Africa which have left little impact.

    And the Chinese are not merely bandying figures because their aggressive infrastructure-backed aids to Africa in the last two decades are quite visible across the continent. The $200m 20-storey state-of-the-art headquarters of the African Union (AUCC), in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia made a major statement about China’s new policy towards Africa.

    China’s strategy is not to hand a few million dollars to African leaders some of who turn round to embezzle most of it. It has been a trend of specific, infrastructure-backed loans complete with equipment and personnel to deliver projects on target.

    Apart from the AUCC, examples of such large projects abound across Africa. The 754 Addis Ababa to Djibouti standard gauge rail line which has linked landlocked Ethiopia to the Djibouti port of Dorelah is one. It must be noted that East African countries of Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda are among the major beneficiaries of what may be described as the Chinese largesse.

    Coming to Nigeria, the harvest has been bounteous too, especially in the last decade. It is reported that about $5 billion has been committed to Nigeria’s economy in just three years of the Buhari administration. The list of projects, completed, on-going and projected is long. Most of projects are highways, railways, transportation and power related; among the most critical infrastructure requirements of fledgling African nations.

    Some of these are: Abuja-Kaduna Railway which was opened mid 2016 and the Abuja Rail Mass Transit which began operation in July. Other rail projects are the 615 high-speed Lagos-Abuja line; the 312km Lagos-Ibadan line; the 300km Lagos-Benin route and the 675km Port-Harcourt-Maiduguri line.

    Other proposed projects are the $1 billion Abuja-Ibadan-Lagos Greenfield Expressway; $500m new terminals for four international airports; the Lekki Deepwater Port in Lagos; the massive Mambila Hydro Power project in Taraba state; the $478m solar power plant in Niger State to generate about 300mw and the 614 km Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano gas pipeline project.

    Nigeria-China trade finance and corporate banking are being deepened first with the on-going $2.5 billion Naira-Yuan swap and a recent $850m Chinese loan to boost African trade. The Cairo, Egypt-based Afreximbank has recently secured $500m facility from the China Development Bank and another $350m from the Bank of China. While the one would help Afreximbank support infrastructure projects across Africa, the other is for bank-to-bank syndicated loans and for trade finance.

    These are just a few of China’s massive economic diplomacy offensive into Africa. It is at once unprecedented and bedazzling; almost akin to America’s Marshall Plan for Europe at the end of World War 2, 1945.

    While the West is surely in shock conjecturing the new map of the world 50 years hence, Africa seems full of euphoria with a dash of hysteria. China is no doubt picking up an abandoned ‘virgin’ Africa for her global leadership role tomorrow.

    Only smart African countries would understand that these are loans, every kobo of it. If they are not carefully documented, managed and repaid promptly when due, they are bound to compound into trillion dollars of sovereign debts.

    Bottomline: thinking African countries will seize the opportunity of the Chinese largesse to build infrastructure as a fulcrum for industrialization while unthinking ones may end up becoming bonded to China someday.

     

  • Deconstructing Africa-China relations

    SIR: This year’s Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which is fourth in the series, has come and gone, but the realities and the signpost for Africa’s and indeed Nigeria’s development agenda is germane and instructive particularly with the dwindling of aids and investment from the West and  China’s  attempts to gain influence and soft power in Africa.

    Indeed, the strategic shared development goals through cooperation between Africa, China is in line with President Xi Jiping pledge of $60 billion financing for critical infrastructure development across Africa is a welcome initiative and it is hoped that these financing arrangements if properly harnessed, will help in addressing some of the infrastructural deficits, and development gaps that dot the continent.

    In the last two decades or so, China has shown the way in infrastructural development in Africa. However, there is a serious development dilemma with infrastructural loans particularly with the lease and debt overhang comparable to those of the London and Paris Club financial tormenters and Buccaneers. Therefore, African leaders and indeed Nigeria must learn critical lessons from Sri Lanka Hambantota Port Development experience of signing off strategic national asset for loan recovery.

    Conversely, Nigeria’s current debt profile of over $5 billion and additional financing of over $3.4 billion for airports, rail lines and hydro electricity power projects emanating from this year conference engagements is suspect.

    Crucially, President Xi Jiping said Africa is land of great promise and it is full of hope. While this sentiment captures the existential reality of China- African partnership now, nevertheless, African leaders must look beyond the niceties of summit diplomacy and diplomatic practice to unlock the development paradigm that China offers Africa.

    Sadly, the rules of economic partnerships and engagements remained skewed in favour of China over the years and this is not good for Africa’s development. It is just like neo-liberalism of the west which is a metaphor expressed in the name western market democracies and globalization.

    The question now is – will the $60 billion financing and new economic diplomacy from China favour Africa? In the never-ending search for solutions to Africa’s social and economic challenges, one viewpoint is advocating for hard choices among our leaders to tackle the issue of corruption head-on and to invest on young talents to unleash growth in the small and medium enterprises sector.

    China’s example is worthy of emulation by our leaders. Its development policy has always been tied to its peoples. China with over 1.3 billion people has lifted over 400 million Chinese from poverty in the last 30 years with loanable funds that is more than three times those of the World Bank given to their people at low interest rate of two percent.

    China has efficiently redirected its resources including Diaspora remittances into education, science and technology most especially its rail system with 10,000 Chinese nationals involved in its research and development efforts. This indeed is a reflection of the kind of inspirational and transformational leadership that Africa requires to move to the next generation rather turning to Beijing for roundtable and quick fix answers.

    It is time to confront the massive and primitive wealth accumulation by a few at the expense of the greater and common good. While the price of corruption and the manifest inefficiencies of leadership in Africa are overtly huge and painfully so, we should be reminded that no country could successfully develop its people and economy through uneven trade partnerships, being orchestrated by China and the global west.

     

    • Samuel Orovwuje,

    Lagos.  

     

  • New era for China-Africa cooperation

    Between September 3 – 4, Africa’s leaders and their Chinese counterpart will gather in Chinese capital, Beijing for the third summit of the Forum on China-Africa cooperation, to build on the epochal strides it has achieved, since it held its second historic summit in Johannesburg, South Africa in December, 2015.

    The Forum on China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in less than two decades of its founding has unarguably become a top notch international organization with track record of solid results delivery. China-Africa traditional friendship and cooperation have had long trajectories before the founding of FOCAC in 2000 but FOCAC not only re-engineered it in a more result-oriented fashion but created and sustained the mechanism of regular contacts, and consultations with consequence of pragmatic outcomes in the relationships. China’s own exponential burst of growth in the period since the founding of FOCAC and Africa’s break  of the monopoly of Western-centric global exposure, during the same period, provided a sound opportunity on which Africa and China grew their enigmatic cooperation under the framework of the FOCAC mechanism.

    The usual suspicions of ideological infractions and sabotages replete with the cold war periods of international relations was out of the way  at the time of FOCAC founding and it was therefore, saved  of the poisonous weed of ideological contestations that virulently infected many international organizations at the period of the intense cold war.

    While still a work in progress, FOCAC, whose leaders would gather in Beijing next week for the third summit of the head of states and government will offer a milestone in the life of the organization.

    As its pedigree is reassuring to its future prospects, FOCAC has brought unique opportunities to its members. Africa, since the historic second summit of FOCAC in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2015 have made some significant leaps, as the 10 cooperation plans outlined at the summit by President Xi Jinping with a whopping sum of US$60 billion funding support, has substantially  materialized since then.

    The nearly 1000 km first electrified railway in Africa, connecting the emerging regional industrial hub but landlocked Ethiopia to the port of Djibouti has become fully operational, and has cut travel time from some few days to some few hours. With a thaw in relations between former adversaries, Ethiopia and Eritrea, access to the Red Sea through the Assab Port would further fuel industrialization of Ethiopia, with Chinese companies making enormous contributions to the prospects.

    The 400km-plus standard gauge rail line from the Kenya’s port city of Mombasa to its capital Nairobi has been completed and has been put to the use of the Kenyans triggering more economic activities while helping to reduce cost of doing business.

    Meanwhile, the Mombasa Port has been under massive reconstruction and will be a vital artery of the “21st century maritime Silk Road,” the maritime component of the China’s initiated “Belt and Road” framework of inclusive and integrated international cooperation. As China and Africa sit down in Beijing in the 3rd summit of FOCAC to ponder on the roadmap to drive the next phase of China/Africa cooperation, the “Silk Road Economic Belt,” and the “21st Century Maritime Silk Road”, otherwise simply called the “Belt and Road,” a massive framework of overland, maritime and digital connectivity featuring heavy infrastructure constructions across countries and within countries, will considerably weigh in, as a powerful impetus for fresh development strides, already set in motion in Africa by the FOCAC process.

    Africa’s regional power-house and its largest market, Nigeria is already in the cusp of new economic dawn due to China’s fueled massive investment in strategic infrastructure. Since 2016, the nearly 200km standard gauge railway line between the capital city, Abuja and Kaduna is up and running. Last July, the first intra-city railway connecting the city centre of Abuja to the airport, described as the first of its kind in West Africa was launched amidst fanfare by President Muhammadu Buhari. The construction of a major railway to connect the commercial city of Lagos through Ibadan to the northern commercial hub of Kano has been launched. The Lekki Deep Sea Port and Zungeru hydro dam, both remarkable heavy infrastructure projects with definitive game-changing effects on Nigeria’s economic prospects have reached advanced stage of  construction with China’s decisive inputs.

    The country’s economic recovery blueprint, called the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) which promises massive infrastructure constructions as the key to unlock sustainable and inclusive development, look set to leverage China’s concessional funding in the sector. The country’s notorious epileptic power supply would receive massive boost when the China-funded Mambilla Power Station comes onstream.

    After 40 years of flip flop on the power project, the China Exim Bank has recently agreed to 85% of concessional funding of the power project, which when completed, is expected to save about 40% of capital, which businesses are estimated to invest to generate their own power, which presently, makes Nigeria one of the costliest place to do business in Africa.

    Nigeria’s industrial landscape is fast revitalizing as Chinese enterprises boost domestic capacity and considerably give substance to the concept of “Made in Nigeria with China.”

    The Forum on China-Africa cooperation, (FOCAC) has accorded Africa, a practical and functional international partnership with an uncommon focus to the existential challenge of the core material needs that would put the region, not only on the path of economic recovery but on a steady and inclusive development trajectory. China’s belief that Africa’s security challenge and peace prospect can be overcome and secured through sustainable and inclusive development has significantly changed and shifted international perspective, which previously viewed Africa as a place for high security risk for investment and business.

    Where Africa’s former colonial masters and their partners in the West view Africa’s security challenge as obstacle to development, China through the mechanism of FOCAC see economic development in Africa as the practical way to overcome the security challenge and secure peace, stability and prosperity in Africa. The several strategic strides already accomplished in Africa through the cooperation framework of the FOCAC process, attests without doubt to the pragmatic orientation of contemporary China-Africa relations.

    With China’s massive growth of her national aggregates, increased strategic role in global governance and overall transition to a new era, Africa cooperation with China through the framework of FOCAC will see significant upgrade. The Beijing Summit, highly anticipated to build on the enormous progress secured at previous forums, is expected to radically raise the profile of the FOCAC mechanism, especially when infused with the vigour of the Belt and Road mechanism, whose several institutional compliments such as Silk Road fund, Asia Infrastructure and investment Bank, (AIIB) and others are already in full throttle.

     

    • Onunaiju, is director Centre for China Studies, (CCS) Abuja.

     

  • Prospects of China-Africa cooperation in 2018

    This would be the third year, since after the historic second summit of the heads of state and government of the Forum on China-Africa cooperation (FOCAC), which held in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2015. At the summit, Chinese leader, President Xi Jinping outlined 10 cooperation plans which would essentially drive the China-Africa cooperation in the three year period before the next FOCAC ministerial meeting which holds this year. Identifying infrastructure, industrialization and agricultural modernization among other 10 as the main focus of China’s support for Africa in the three-year period, President Xi Jinping provided a funding support of USD60 billion. Since that historic summit, most of the funding have been disbursed and key infrastructure projects, industrial parks and free trade zones, with quantum leap in agricultural modernization have been accomplished in different parts of Africa. However, the good news is that steady momentum of the Sino-Africa cooperation would experience a quantum leap as China positions more strategically as a major power to assume more responsibilities on the global scene.

    With the successful convocation and conclusion of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China last October, China’s national development has transited to a new era, with implications for China’s broad and deeper involvement in world affairs and China-Africa cooperation gaining more momentum.

    Summing the experience of China’s national development and the wider global outlook since the 18th national congress of the party in 2012, a resolution of the 19th national congress of the party on the report of the 18th Central Committee, held that “on the basis of an analysis of the developments in the international and domestic environments and a review of the party’s work and the historic change over the past five years, the congress forms the major political judgment that socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era.” The congress further elaborates on the party’s historic mission in the new era and establishes the historical position of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era.”

    These conclusions of the epochal 19th national congress of the CPC was not lightly arrived and not the largely vacuous rhetoric of any political gathering. They derived from thorough going and scientific interrogation of China’s and international realities at a key historic juncture and the outcome is the strategic framework and road-map that would guide the work and activities of the government and party in the next five years. The discerning feature of China’s global engagement would certainly be guided by her dutiful commitment to build a community with a shared future for mankind. The practical framework of China’s bold vision to build a community with shared future for mankind has already been outlined in the Belt and Road strategy of international cooperation, which has entered crucial stage of execution and implementation.

    Africa and Nigeria in particular is strategically placed to integrate to the thorough-going process of global connectivity through overland, maritime and digital infrastructures, which are the defining and dynamic paradigm of the Belt and Road international cooperation. The Belt and Road international cooperation is underpinned by real actions and concrete projects that have produced over 270 specific results under 76 broad categories across five key areas. According to Chinese foreign minister, Mr. Wang Yi, “the Belt and Road has become the most popular international public goods in today’s world. Its success lies in the fact that by focus on the dual deficits in development and governance and the dual challenges of anaemic global cooperation and lack of drive in global cooperation, the Belt and Road initiative has responded to the shared desire for accelerated development, and sought to pool the economic factors and developmental resources form wider areas following an approach of pursuing shared benefits through consultation and collaboration.”

    In a recent exchange of congratulatory messages with South Africa’s president, Jacob Zuma on the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relation between China South Africa, Chinese leader, President Xi Jinping said that the two countries have achieved tremendous success in their bilateral cooperation. He further noted that the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) which the two countries co-chaired its historic summit in 2015 have left indelible mark in the annals of cooperation between two sides. According to President Xi Jinping, the 2018 summit of FOCAC would hold in Beijing, China, this year in September. The Beijing venue of this year’s FOCAC summit is in line with president Zuma’s suggestion and meets the aspiration of other African leaders.

    Also speaking at a symposium on international developments and China’s diplomacy in 2017 in Beijing last December, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that “Another significant event on China’s diplomatic agenda for 2018, will be hosting the Forum on China-Africa cooperation.”

    According to him, the forum will discuss plans for future development with our African brothers and sisters and roll out new cooperation measures and explore new growth areas, to lift our cooperation to a new level. In particular to meet the aspirations of African countries, we will work to further synergize the Belt and Road initiative with Agenda 2063, making the Belt and Road cooperation a new, strong driver for China-Africa all-dimensional cooperation.”

    The dynamism of the Belt and Road international cooperation initiative, when mainstreamed to the existing mechanism of China-Africa cooperation, especially the multilateral framework of the Forum on China-Africa cooperation (FOCAC), would produce a profound insight to the new era of China-Africa relation which can be glimpsed with considerable degree of sure-footedness. The decisive impact of the 10 cooperation plans outlined by President Xi Jinping in 2015 at the second summit of FOCAC has transformed the state of infrastructure in Africa in the past three years and 2018, marking the start of new cooperation arrangements to be blended to the momentum of the Belt and Road international cooperation strategy, would certainly turn into a major game-changer in addressing Africa’s infrastructure’s deficits.

    At his new year address to Nigerians, President Muhammadu Buhari outlined a framework of strategic infrastructure networks to aid Nigeria’s economic recovery and drive the process of sustainable and inclusive economic development. The road and rail networks that he identified across the country, including key power infrastructure would in his own words, “spearhead the recovery and lead millions back to employment.”  Among the key power infrastructure projects, he mentioned the “landmark project, which Mambilla Hydroelectric power project, which has been on the drawing board for 40 years but now the engineering, procurement and construction contract for 3,050 MW project has been agreed with a Chinese joint venture company with a financing commitment from the government of China, with completion targeted for 2023.”

    Identifying key and strategic infrastructures, the decisive instrument to put Nigeria’s economy on the path of sustainable development is very important and to identify and locate the critical international support for it, is even more urgent and compelling. The China’s initiated Belt and Road international cooperation strategy is well placed to support the challenge of filling Nigeria’s infrastructure deficit. The Chinese ambassador to Nigeria, Dr Zhou Pingian has in several fora and platforms reiterated the commitment of his country to support Nigeria in building the requisite capacity for sustainable and inclusive development.

    Nigeria should properly hedge its bet to the global public good of the Belt and Road process; integrate it to her national agenda to overcome her infrastructure deficit, using its open, consultative and collaborative mechanisms to advance her economic reconfiguration and stable growth.

    China-Africa cooperation, especially in 2018, promises major and strategic inputs to Africa’s efforts to overcome the structural gridlock of infrastructure deficit in key areas of transport networks, energy, industry and agricultural modernization that would create and facilitate the enabling environment to drive an sustainable and inclusive development.

     

    • Onunaiju is of Centre for China Studies, Utako, Abuja.