Nigeria assures China of implementing FOCAC initiatives
Nigeria has assured China that it is committed to the implementation of the 2018 Forum for China African Cooperation (FOCAC) initiatives as a framework for strengthening strategic partnership between both countries. President Xi Jinping had, in September during the FOCAC summit in Beijing, announced that China would implement eight major initiatives with African countries in […]
Hajia Khadija Bukar Abba Ibrahim.
Nigeria has assured China that it is committed to the implementation of the 2018 Forum for China African Cooperation (FOCAC) initiatives as a framework for strengthening strategic partnership between both countries.
President Xi Jinping had, in September during the FOCAC summit in Beijing, announced that China would implement eight major initiatives with African countries in the next three years and beyond.
The initiatives cover fields such as industrial promotion, infrastructure cooperation, trade facilitation, green development, capacity building, health and hygiene, humanities exchange and peace and security.
“We do assure you of Nigerian cooperation and support for FOCAC as a framework for the China-African relations and the implementation of the eight major initiatives of the 2018 FOCAC summit,” said the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Hajiya Khadija Bukar Abbah-Ibrahim.
The minister gave the assurance on Monday when the Assistant Foreign Minister and Co-Chair of the Chinese follow up Committee on FOCAC, Chen Xiaodong, visited her in Abuja.
“The eight major initiatives are geared towards the ongoing government drive in the diversification of the economy and other things as well,” she added.
She commended the Chinese government for sending a delegation to follow up the discussion made at the FOCAC to ensure the implementation.
“I am extremely happy that the assistant minister is here primarily because once every year there is a FOCAC meeting. However, you do not see a committee or a delegation that follows up on the meeting to see how the implementation process will take place,” she said.
The Chinese Minister said he was in Nigeria to deeply engage the government to ensure the materialisation of the outcome of the summit as it concerns Nigeria.