Appreciating the potential of a China-Nigeria economic and trade cooperation as an opportunity his country can’t afford to miss, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has recently announced his country is gearing up to expand and explore new avenues in several industries, including textiles, with a focus on expediting infrastructural development in these sectors.
Maintaining that an economic cooperation between the two nations would benefit both China and Nigeria, Nigerian leader is reported to have expressed his country’s genuine wishes to further strengthen the ties.
Speaking to China’s official news agency Xinhua, before his state visit to China starting Monday, Buhari said the two countries have a lot to gain from cooperating in fields like agriculture, mining, electric power generation, and railway and road construction, besides textiles. His first China visit that begins on Monday, will conclude on Friday.
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China has the technical and financial capacity and the experience of development, while retaining the goodwill to help Nigeria, he said. “So, really, this is an opportunity Nigeria cannot afford to lose,” Buhari reportedly told Xinhua at the Presidential Palace.
Reaffirming his government’s commitment to previously signed contracts by its predecessor with Chinese firms on railway, roads and hydroelectric dam projects, Buhari exuded gratitude towards China’s continuing cooperation with his country. He added that although Nigeria happens to be the largest economy in Africa, the country is still in a bad shape, clearly in need of new projects, which China, being the world’s second-largest economy, can help undertake.
“The opportunities that present themselves for us … are virtually limitless,” he said.
Born in Daura, northern Nigeria, on Dec 17, 1942, Buhari won the presidential elections in March 2015. He was sworn in two months later.
