Deepening Nigeria-China Relations Under the FOCAC Framework
By Lawal Sale
“There is no better mirror than a best friend,” – popular African proverb.
The true meaning of this axiom can be better comprehended via a particular focus on the decades-old Nigeria-China relations.
Bilateral relations and cooperation between Nigeria and China date back to 1971 when the two countries established diplomatic relations.
Like Siamese twins, the two nations have several things in common. For instance, while Nigeria is the most populous nation in Africa, China is the most populous in the entire world. Interestingly, the two friendly countries also share that same independence/national day — October 1.
Nigeria gained its independence from British colonial rule on October 1, 1960, while the People’s Republic of China was founded on October 1, 1949.
As bilateral relationships between the two countries continue to flourish in the last 53 years, many landmark achievements have been recorded, epitomizing the pragmatic benefits of having a strong strategic partnership among nations.
Foreign affairs experts note that Nigeria and China have always exhibited mutual respect for one another, while treating each other as equal partners and achieving a lot in bilateral cooperation. Suffice to say that on the international stage, the two nations have always bonded to defend each other’s interests.
This year, between Sept. 4 and Sept. 6 to be specific, China is hosting the 9th Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing, where President Xi Jinping is expected to deliver a keynote speech and hold relevant bilateral meetings with leaders of FOCAC member countries as well as invited representatives of African and regional organisations.
The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) was established in 2000 as a triennial platform for high-level political coordination, marking the beginning of a new era in global relations. Through the FOCAC platform, China and Africa have solidified their win-win cooperation in fostering dialogue and collaboration for a shared future for mankind.
FOCAC Summits have been held successfully eight times since its inception, with the last Summit held in Dakar, Senegal, in 2021. The gathering of the Chinese and African leaders under the FOCAC platform in the last two decades has evolved to ensure it remains a solid platform for deepening ties between the two sides.
FOCAC provides an avenue for the two sides to exchange ideas, initiate agreements and develop strategies to strengthen economic growth and enhance Africa’s sustainable development.
Mr Charles Onunaiju, the Director of China Study Centre in Abuja, Nigeria, said: “The gains of FOCAC process will reaffirm China-Africa and Nigeria, in general, as the most formidable pole of peace, stability and mutual respect in the evolving multilateral and law-governed international order despite the existential vicissitudes of the Western practice of power politics and bloc confrontations.”
Over the years, under the FOCAC platform, diplomatic relations and regular high-level dialogues have been achieved, allowing both sides to align their interests and collaborate on the international stage.
It is evident that trade and investment volumes in many African countries have increased exponentially, with China as a leading trading partner of the African continent. Chinese investments cut across diverse sectors, including digital economy, blue economy, creative economy, rail and road infrastructure, energy projects, dams, free trade zones, and airport terminal construction, agriculture, health and education.
Nigeria, as one of the major partners of China and a pioneer FOCAC member-state, would be participating in the September summit, and President Bola Tinubu is leading the Nigerian delegation and hold bilateral talks with President Xi Jinping.
There are a lot of expectations from the bilateral talks, as Nigeria and China have all along been involved in several economic programmes. Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria Yu Dunhai said that “when it comes to economic area under the FOCAC and Belt and Road Initiative framework, China and Nigeria have conducted a lot of cooperation.
“Nigeria is now China’s largest engineering contracting partner in Africa, the second largest exporting market, third largest trading partner and major investment destination in Africa.”
Ambassador Yu expatiated that the 9th Summit “would provide unique opportunities for the two sides to coordinate and cooperate in international arenas, China and Nigeria are both developing countries and members of the global South.
“When we work together, we could improve just an equitable international order to defend the developing countries in general. So, there is a lot to expect from this summit,” he added
Observers note that Nigeria has been reaping the fruits of its strategic partnership with China for a shared future for mankind.
By and large, the coming FOCAC summit in September is largely expected to open up new frontiers of socio-economic partnerships that will ultimately fast-track Nigeria’s national development in a more pragmatic way.
— Lawal Sale is an Abuja-based Global Affairs Analyst. ([email protected])
