The Centre for Contemporary Africa-China Research in Nigeria on Thursday hosted the second Post-FOCAC Forum (West Africa) at the China Cultural Centre in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
Themed “Jointly Advancing China-Africa Modernization and Achieving the Ten Partnership Initiatives in an All-Weather China-Africa Community with a Shared Future,” the forum attracted a diverse audience, including embassy officials, foreign policy experts, academic scholars, government officials, security agencies, students, and members of the diplomatic community.
In his opening remarks, Professor Sheriff Ghali Ibrahim, Director of the Centre for Contemporary China-Africa Research, said the forum aims to strategize on the implementation of the China-Africa Ten Partnership Action Plan and leverage China’s experience to promote peaceful modernization across Africa.
He noted that the forum’s objective is to foster dialogue on how African nations can learn from China’s successes in governance, poverty reduction, and socio-economic development.
Professor Ghali commended China’s significant contributions to global governance, poverty alleviation, and industrialization, particularly through substantial financial commitments to African nations.
“These financial commitments include $5 billion in 2006, escalating to $50.7 billion in 2024, allocated for investments, aid, and credit lines to drive African modernization,” he said.
Also speaking, Yu Dunhai, the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria said the September 2024 FOCAC Summit where Chinese President Xi Jinping and African leaders unveiled the ‘Six Modernizations’ and the ‘Ten Partnership Actions’ to propel China-Africa modernization reflects the shared aspirations of 2.8 billion people in China and Africa, injecting momentum into their cooperative efforts.
“These ten partnership actions include cultural exchange, trade, industrial integration, infrastructure, sustainable development, health, agriculture, people-to-people bonds, green economy, and security, he said.
The envoy stated that President Xi Jinping, during the recent ministerial meeting in Changsha, China, unveiled new measures to enhance China-Africa cooperation, including zero-tariff treatment, trade facilitation and priority cooperation.
“These measures aim to address pressing development needs in Africa and reinforce the spirit of China-Africa friendship, Yu Dunhai added.
Earlier in his remark, Joseph Tegbe, Director-General of the Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership (NCSP), said the elevation of Nigeria-China relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership signifies a shift from mere bilateral relations to a robust, development-focused alliance.
“We are no longer satisfied with maintaining relationships; we strive to build partnerships based on mutual trust, respect, and collaborative efforts,” he said.
He reaffirmed President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for the Ten Partnership Actions, positioning Nigeria to access the $51 billion African fund portfolio.
The forum also featured panel discussions where scholars explored strategies for advancing China-Africa cooperation under the framework of the FOCAC Ten Partnership Action Plan.
