- VP Shettima affirms Nigeria’s commitment to China-Africa partnership, praises initiatives in agriculture, industrialization, and cooperation for mutual development
- Shettima represents President Tinubu at BRICS Summit, highlights alignment with development aspirations and endorses close collaboration with China
Vice President Kashim Shettima has stated that Nigeria remains committed to working with China and other African countries to achieve the partnership’s goals for the mutual benefit of both parties.
The Vice President stated this while representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, at the China-Africa Leaders’ Roundtable Dialogue Meeting on the margins of the BRICS Summit.
According to him;
Nigeria welcomes the new initiatives introduced by the Chinese authorities, which include supporting and promoting the modernization of Africa’s agriculture and agribusiness sectors; providing robust support for Africa to expedite regional integration and backing Africa’s industrialization and infrastructure expansion.
At the Sandton Convention Centre, Shettima addressed a large audience, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and some African leaders on the theme “Promoting African Integration and Jointly Building a High-Level Africa-China Community with a Shared Future.”
Senator Shettima praised the existing partnership between China and Africa, particularly “the three newly identified initiatives and priority areas of cooperation, between China and Africa in the areas of agriculture, industrialization, and human capacity development,” in a statement issued Friday by Olusola Abiola, Director Information, Office of the Vice President.
He stated that “they are relevant to our continental and national development aspirations” and that they “align with the Tinubu administration’s “Renewed Hope” mantra, the African Union’s Agenda 2063, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030.”
The Vice President also lauded China’s commitment: “Nigeria firmly endorses China and anticipates forging close collaboration with the Chinese authorities, the African Union, and all stakeholders.”
He hoped that our combined efforts would propel the Africa-China comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership to unprecedented heights, driven by our mutual pursuit of economic prosperity.
The Vice President also emphasized the importance of “financing Africa’s Infrastructure, with a focus on advancing key infrastructural components like Farm-to-Market Corridors, Farm-to-Ports Corridors, Export Transport Corridors, Railway Networks, Road Network Upgrades and Expansions, Airport Enhancements, including dedicated export-oriented airports, Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution.”
Xi Jinping, President of China and co-chair of the Dialogue, pledged to African leaders attending a meeting on the sidelines of the Summit in his address that China would launch initiatives to support Africa’s industrialization and agricultural modernization.