Nigeria's President, Muhammadu Buhari has
ordered the constitution of technical committees which will be saddled with the
responsibility of finalizing discussions on the new joint Nigeria/China rail,
manufacturing, power and solid mineral projects in Nigeria. The technical
committees have until the end of May to conclude their assignments.
It will be recalled that the
President is on a week-long working visit to China. According to the President’s Senior Special Assistant (Media and Publicity) Garba
Shehu, the President’s delegates in Beijing on Tuesday had talks with high
ranking Chinese government officials led by President Xi Jinping
Mr. President Buhari appreciated China’s
readiness to assist Nigeria in her bid to industrialize and join the world’s
major economies soonest.
The Chinese President agreed that
Nigeria’s chosen path of development through economic diversification was the
best path to thread on. China in its willingness to assist Nigeria, promised to
fully support the country in its quest for rapid infrastructural
development and capacity building.
China also expressed its interest as
soon as the enabling environment is provided by the Federal Government, to
establish viable projects in Nigeria. Such projects as refineries, power
plants, mining companies, textile manufacturing and food processing industries
President Jinping in his response to
President Buhari’s quest to make Nigeria self-sufficient in food production
offered a sum of 15 million U.S. dollars as agricultural assistance to Nigeria
for the construction of 50 Agricultural Demonstration Farms across the country.
Similarly, China offered to raise its scholarship awards to Nigerian students
from about 100 to 700 annually. In addition, 1,000 other Nigerians are to be
given vocational and technical training by China annually.
According to a report in Premium times,
China and Nigeria also agreed to strengthen military and civil service
exchanges as part of a larger capacity-building engagement.
The Chinese leader while assuring
President Buhari that Nigeria will always have a special place in the affairs of
the Peoples Republic of China applauded the war against corruption being waged
by President Buhari.
Highlight of the event was the
signing of several agreements and memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the
two countries.
Some of the agreements include;
·
“Framework Agreement between the
Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and
the National Development and Reform Commission of the Peoples Republic of
China.”
·
“Memorandum of Understanding on
Aviation Cooperation between the Ministry of Transportation (Aviation) of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Ministry of Commerce of the Peoples Republic
of China” and
·
“Memorandum of Understanding Between
the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Government of the Peoples Republic of
China on Scientific and Technological cooperation'
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