- Consul-General of the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, Yan Yuqing
By Anthony Nwachukwu
Bilateral trade volume between China and Nigeria has hit $21.9 billion, representing about eight per cent of the China-Africa trade, according to the Consul-General, Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, Yan Yuqing.
Statistics from China Customs also put the bilateral trade between China and Africa in 2024 at approximately $280 billion, representing a year-on-year increase of 6.1 per cent.
Speaking at the opening of the China Commodities Expo – Nigeria 2025, organised by the Trade Development Bureau of the Ministry of Commerce and hosted by China’s Ministry of Commerce, Yuqing noted that China has remained Africa’s largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years.
She stated that beyond the China-Nigeria economic and trade cooperation, the expo served as an important platform for both countries to share development opportunities, especially as it showcased high-quality Chinese commodities and technologies.
According to Yuqing, “China has consistently ranked as Nigeria’s top project contractor and a major source of investment for many years.
“From the Lagos-Ibadan railway and Lagos Light Rail to the Lekki Deep Sea Port, from cooperation in digital communication technology to agricultural modernisation demonstration projects, China-Nigeria cooperation has always been people-oriented, injecting strong momentum into Nigeria’s economic and social development.”
The envoy reiterated China’s strict adherence to the principle of extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefits, stating: “We are willing to join hands with Nigeria to deepen practical cooperation and inject new momentum into the stability of the global industrial chain.
She disclosed that the recently concluded Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China “clearly stated that China will steadfastly advance high-standard opening up and comprehensively promote the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through high-quality development.”
She added that the most significant achievement of the Plenary Session was the review and adoption of the 15th Five-Year Plan, which will further expand market access, optimize the business environment and promote the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative to a new level.
To that end, “China is willing to share the dividends of development with Nigeria, deepen cooperation in areas such as the digital economy, green energy, infrastructure as well as support the construction of the African Continental Free Trade Zone,” she stated.
“This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and the 54th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Nigeria. Our bilateral economic and trade cooperation has yielded fruitful results.”
Meanwhile, Yuqing said China and Nigeria are expected to continue deepening cooperation in more fields, including industrial capacity alignment, and promotion of more China smart manufacturing to support Nigeria’s industrialisation process.
Others include green transformation, creating demonstration projects in new energy and ecological agriculture, people-to-people exchange and cultural connectivity, and expansion of exchanges in education, culture, science and technology to further consolidate the public support for bilateral relations.
“We firmly believe that under the strategic guidance of the heads of our two countries, China-Nigeria Belt and Road cooperation will surely become a model for South-South cooperation.”
