- Sheriff
By Anthony Nwachukwu
The Director of Centre for Contemporary China-Africa Research in Nigeria, Prof. Sheriff Ghali Ibrahim, says the second post-FOCAC Abuja Forum aims to advance China-Africa modernisation.
Prof. Sheriff disclosed that the event, billed for June 26 at the China Cultural Centre in Abuja, is themed, “Jointly Advancing China-Africa Modernisation and Achieving the 10 Partnership Initiative in an All-Weather China-Africa Community with a Shared Future.”
Sheriff, who announced the event at a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, said the forum’s core objective is to strategise the implementation of the China-Africa 10 Partnership Action Plan and harness China’s experience to advance peaceful modernisation across Africa.
The 10 Partnership Action Plan – a framework for deepened cooperation, includes mutual learning between civilisations, trade prosperity, industrial chain cooperation, connectivity, development cooperation, healthcare, rural revitalisation, people-to-people exchanges, green development and common security.
According to Sheriff, “the forum aims to foster dialogue on how Africa can draw from China’s successes in governance, poverty reduction and socio-economic development to achieve the African Union’s Agenda 2063.”
The foreign policy scholar outlined the goals of the forum to include exploring joint modernisation strategies, promoting the China-Africa Joint Arbitration Centre to safeguard Belt and Road Cooperation, and adopting eco-friendly modernisation rooted in peace and common prosperity.
Sheriff said the forum will feature 10 expert presenters from West Africa, who will address critical topics such as overcoming policy inertia in implementing the 10 Partnership Action Plan. Others include sharing governance and poverty reduction experiences, and aligning China’s development philosophies with Africa’s modernisation goals.
According to him, “a key focus will be the African Union’s Agenda 2063, with discussions on how China’s experience can support Africa’s long-term development vision.”
Meanwhile, Sheriff said that in the end, African governments should be able develop practical strategies for implementing the action plan, while leaders will gain a better understanding of China’s approaches to governance and poverty alleviation.
“We want participants to embrace the ‘people first’ philosophy and commit to sustainable, inclusive modernisation,” he added.
The event is expected to draw a diverse audience, including ECOWAS government officials, diplomats, security agencies, business leaders, civil society, academia and thought leaders.
