Chinese President, Xi Jinping, on Tuesday in Beijing offered $15 million agricultural assistance to Nigeria for the establishment of 50 Demonstration Farms across the country.
This is contained in a statement by Mallam Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari and made available to newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja.
The statement said Jinping announced the offer at a meeting between the Nigerian delegation and high-ranking Chinese government officials in Beijing.
It said that the offer was in response to President Buhari’s desire to make Nigeria self-sufficient in food production.
It added that Jinping agreed that Nigeria’s chosen path of development through economic diversification was the best way to go.
“To help Nigeria achieve this, China promised to fully support the country through infrastructural development and capacity building,’’ it said.
The statement said that Jinping also expressed the readiness of China to set up major projects in Nigeria.
It listed the projects to include refineries, power plants, mining companies, textile manufacturing and food processing industries as soon as the enabling environment was provided by the Federal Government.
The statement said that China and Nigeria also agreed to strengthen military and civil service exchanges as part of a larger capacity-building engagement.
“In line with this, China offered to raise its scholarship awards to Nigerian students from about 100 to 700 annually.
“In addition, 1,000 other Nigerians are to be given vocational and technical training by China annually,’’ the statement added.
The statement said Jinping applauded the war against corruption being waged by Buhari.
The Chinese leader assured the Nigerian president that Nigeria would always have a special place in the affairs of the Peoples Republic of China.
After the meeting, Buhari directed that technical committees be immediately established to finalise discussions on new joint Nigeria/China rail, power, manufacturing, agricultural and solid mineral projects.
According to the statement, the technical committees will conclude their assignments before the end of May.
The statement said President Buhari welcomed China’s readiness to assist Nigeria in her bid to rapidly industrialize and join the world’s major economies.
The statement said that after the talks, Buhari and Jinping witnessed the signing of several agreements and memorandums of understanding between Nigeria and China.
They included a “Framework Agreement between the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the National Development and Reform Commission of the Peoples Republic of China.”
Memorandum of Understanding on Aviation Cooperation between the Ministry of Transportation (Aviation) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Ministry of Commerce of the Peoples Republic of China was also signed
Memorandum of Understanding between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Government of the Peoples Republic of China on Scientific and Technological Cooperation and a “Mandate Letter Between the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and the Central Bank of Nigeria on Renminbi (RMB) Transactions’’ were also signed.
Also, Jinping and Buhari pledged to further promote their strategic relationship.
Jinping said that the relationship will further deepen the two countries friendship and reciprocal cooperation is in the long-term interests of the two countries and people
“This will strengthen the relationship to favour the interest of the people, conducive to the peace, stability and development of Africa and the world.
“The two sides should maintain high-level engagement, increase exchanges in all areas, give each other understanding and support on issues of their core interests and major concern, and strengthen strategic mutual trust,” Jinping said.
He said that China is ready to expand bilateral cooperation in areas such as agriculture, fisheries, oil refining, mineral exploitation, mechatronics, light industry, textile and processing.
Jinping said that China is also willing to help Nigeria solve the bottleneck of infrastructure, professionals and funds in developing industry and modern agriculture.
He called on the two countries to increase cooperation in the areas of culture, education, media, youth and women.
He said that China will support Nigeria playing a bigger role in international and regional affairs, and strengthen communication and coordination on major issues such as the peace and stability of Africa, climate change, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Jinping also pledged to give more support to Africa’s development.
He said China will implement the outcome of the latest Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit held in Johannesburg last December to give more assistance to Africa to realize reciprocity and common development.
Buhari, in his response, commended China for its long-term assistance to Nigeria’s infrastructure construction.
He said that the Johannesburg summit injected new vitality into Africa-China relations and brought more opportunities for Nigeria-China cooperation.
“Nigeria was willing to implement cooperation deals already reached with China, strengthen cooperation in areas including agriculture, mining, infrastructure and human resources.
“Nigeria will also strengthen coordination with China on international affairs,’’ Buhari said.
After the talks, the two presidents witnessed the signing of several agreements in infrastructure, production capacity, investment, aviation, technology and finance.
Buhari is on his first state visit to China from Monday to Friday at the invitation to the Chinese president.
He will also visit Shanghai, an economic hub in east China, and Guangzhou, capital of south China’s Guangdong Province.
