During President Bola Tinubu’s official visit to Beijing, Nigeria and China signed several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) to enhance bilateral cooperation in various sectors. The agreements were finalized on Tuesday in the presence of President Tinubu and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The MoUs cover key areas including the Belt and Road Initiative, nuclear energy cooperation, human resource development, and media exchange. The agreements were signed ahead of President Tinubu’s participation in the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit, scheduled for September 4-6, 2024.

The MoUs include:

A cooperation plan to jointly promote the Belt and Road Initiative.

An agreement on the peaceful application of nuclear energy.

A memorandum on strengthening human resource development under the Global Development Initiative.

An MoU on media exchange and cooperation between China Media Group and the Nigerian Television Authority.

These agreements signify a deepening of the strategic partnership between Nigeria and China and lay the foundation for future collaboration across multiple sectors.

In discussions with President Xi, President Tinubu highlighted Nigeria’s economic potential, emphasizing its status as Africa’s largest economy with a youthful population poised to drive growth and trade. He reiterated his administration’s commitment to economic reforms, noting that Nigeria’s reform program mirrors China’s successful economic strategies under President Xi.

President Xi reaffirmed the longstanding diplomatic ties between China and Nigeria, emphasizing the importance of strategic coordination to enhance China-Africa relations and support collective progress among Global South nations. Both leaders view this strengthened partnership as a means to contribute to broader China-Africa development.

The 2024 FOCAC Summit is expected to further solidify these connections and strengthen the enduring friendship between Nigeria and China.