Nigeria Reaffirms Commitment to Strategic Partnership with China

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening strategic, bilateral trade and economic partnership with China, reflecting positively on the progress recorded in relations between both countries throughout 2025.

The reaffirmation followed the elevation of Nigeria-China relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, agreed by President Bola Tinubu and President Xi Jinping during the Nigerian leader’s state visit to China in September 2024.

Since then, engagements between both countries have intensified across political, economic and technical levels, further consolidating a relationship built on mutual respect, development cooperation and shared interests.

Over the past year, cooperation expanded in key priority areas such as infrastructure development, trade and investment, industrial capacity building, technology exchange and people-to-people relations.

These engagements, Nigerian officials say, have helped to deepen institutional linkages and provide a clearer framework for achieving mutually beneficial outcomes.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Director-General and Global Liaison of the Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership, Mr. Joseph Tegbe, said Nigeria relationship with China remains guided by the country’s long-standing foreign policy principles, including respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as adherence to established international norms.

He noted that in this context, the federal government has consistently upheld the One-China principle as the foundation of its diplomatic relations.

Looking ahead to 2026, he expressed the readiness of the country to consolidate and deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in more practical and results-driven ways.

He noted that emphasis will continue to be placed on cooperation that directly supports Nigeria’s development priorities, including economic diversification, infrastructure delivery, human capital development, technology transfer and long-term sustainability.

Commenting on the future of the partnership, Tegbe expressed confidence that cooperation between both countries would continue to mature.

According to him, sustained engagement and shared commitment would ensure the delivery of lasting outcomes that advance the common vision of a China-Nigeria community with a shared future.