By Ayomide Otitoju
Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening its strategic, bilateral trade and economic partnership with China, reflecting positively on the progress of relations between both countries throughout 2025.
The reaffirmation follows the elevation of Nigeria–China relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, agreed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Chinese President Xi Jinping during Tinubu’s state visit to China in September 2024. Over the past year, both countries sustained engagement at political, economic and technical levels, reinforcing a partnership anchored on mutual respect, development cooperation and shared interests.
In 2025, cooperation between Nigeria and China expanded across key priority areas, including infrastructure development, trade and investment, industrial capacity building, technology exchange and people-to-people relations. These engagements strengthened institutional linkages and provided a more structured framework for advancing mutually beneficial outcomes.
Nigeria noted that its relationship with China remains guided by its long-standing foreign policy principles of respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as adherence to established international norms. In this context, Nigeria reiterated its consistent support for the One-China principle as the foundation of its relations with the People’s Republic of China.
Looking ahead to 2026, Nigeria said it remains committed to consolidating and deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with China in practical and results-oriented ways. Priority areas will continue to include economic diversification, infrastructure delivery, human capital development, technology transfer and long-term sustainability.
Expressing optimism about the future of the partnership, the Director-General and Global Liaison of the Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership, Mr. Joseph Tegbe, said Nigeria–China cooperation would continue to mature and deliver enduring outcomes, advancing the shared vision of a China–Nigeria community with a shared future.
