NIGERIA, CHINA PARTNERSHIP KEY TO AFRICA’S DEVELOPMENT – SHETTIMA
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- Says President Tinubu’s foreign policy drive boosting investors’ confidence
Vice-President Kashim Shettima said today that Nigeria’s strategic partnership with China needs to be scaled up, as it remains key to Africa’s development. This, he assured, is in progress on the part of Nigeria, just as he said since assuming office, President Bola Tinubu has strategically tinkered with the country’s foreign policy to drive and boost investors’ confidence. To augment this, the Vice President noted that President Tinubu has walked the talk by creating levellers for the ease of doing business in Nigeria.
The Vice President who is representing President Tinubu at the ongoing Belt And Road Initiative Forum in Beijing, China, stated this when he was hosted by his People’s Republic of China counterpart, Vice President Han Zheng, at the Diaoyutai State Guest House, Beijing. He expressed profound gratitude for the warm reception accorded his delegation, noting that Nigeria and China, having celebrated 50 years of diplomatic relations in 2021, must now take their destinies into their own hands.
Declaring that the rest of Africa stands to gain from a successful Nigeria, Shettim said, “Our mutually beneficial relationship will be further enhanced and upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership.
“Nigeria is China’s second-largest trading partner in Africa; it is the largest economy in Africa and the most populous country in the African continent. The Belt and Road Initiative is a big beautiful concept that can be deployed to achieve this”.
The Vice President drew attention to the burgeoning relationship between Nigeria and China, stating that both countries stood to gain mutually from their friendship.