Nigeria committed to collaborating with China, African countries -Shettima.
Nigeria, according to Vice President Kashim Shettima, is dedicated to partnering with China and African nations to ensure that the partnership’s objectives are met to the advantage of both sides.
Shettima addressed this during the China-Africa Leaders’ Roundtable Dialogue Meeting on the fringes of the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, according to Mr. Olusola Abiola, Director, Information, Office of the Vice President, in a statement on Friday.
Shettima delivered a speech on the topic “Promoting African Integration and Jointly Building a High-Level Africa-China Community with a Shared Future” to a huge audience at the Sandton Convention Centre, which included Chinese President Xi Jinping and various African dignitaries.
“Nigeria welcomes the Chinese authorities’ new initiatives, which include supporting and promoting the modernization of Africa’s agriculture and agribusiness sectors,” he added.
“It also supports the provision of robust support for Africa in order to expedite regional integration and to support Africa’s industrialization and infrastructure expansion.” He praised China-Africa collaboration, particularly “three newly identified initiatives and priority areas of cooperation between China and Africa in agriculture, industrialization, and human capacity development.”
“These are consistent with President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s ‘Renewed Hope’ mantra, the African Union’s Agenda 2063, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030.”
“They are relevant to our continental and national development aspirations,” stated the vice president.
Shettima, who welcomed China’s commitment, noted that Nigeria strongly supports China and expects working closely with Chinese authorities, the African Union, and all other parties.
“Our mutual pursuit of economic prosperity will propel the Africa-China comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership to unprecedented heights.”
He mentioned important areas for Africa and China’s current collaboration. Fostering synergy among the relevant national institutions entrusted with designing, coordinating, and implementing national policies in the three main areas of cooperation, he added, as well as promoting measures that encourage African ownership of these projects, are among the topics he mentioned.
“Other areas include new initiatives designed in a way that recognises local differences as community-based and tailors them to individual country needs.” “Increase international resources for financing African education; seek input from relevant African Union institutions and continental organisations such as the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, and other related regional bodies.”
Shettima also emphasised the significance of developing important infrastructure components such as farm-to-market corridors, farm-to-port corridors, export transport corridors, railway networks, and road network enhancements. “Also important are expansions, airport improvements, including dedicated export-oriented airports, power generation, transmission, and distribution.”
Shettima informed his audience that Nigeria prioritises its links with the global south and cherishes all areas of South-South cooperation. The vice president stated that the global South is presently facing unprecedented problems, and we must find answers for climate change as well as security measures to contain and prevent transnational crime, terrorism, and cyberattacks.
“We face a significant rate of youth unemployment as well as disruptive natural disasters.” This position allows us to examine the difficulties we face collectively as well as those confronting our partners.”
Xi Jinping, President of China and co-chair of the Dialogue, pledged African leaders in his presentation that China will begin efforts to promote Africa’s industrialisation and agricultural modernisation. Nigeria’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Amb. Muhammad Manta, the Consul-General, Amb. Andrew Idi, and other senior government officials joined Shettima to the ceremony.