China and Nigeria Strengthen Economic Partnership to Boost Global Supply Chain Stability
China has reaffirmed its commitment to bolstering economic and industrial cooperation with Nigeria, with a pledge to inject new energy into global supply chain stability. Speaking at the 2025 China Brand Commodity Exhibition in Lagos, China’s Consul General, Ms. Yan Yuqing, said the event underscored both nations’ shared vision of industrial growth and mutual prosperity. The exhibition gathered top Chinese manufacturers and Nigerian business leaders exploring trade and investment opportunities across multiple sectors.
Yan highlighted that the exhibition was a reflection of the thriving China-Nigeria economic partnership, emphasizing the importance of collaboration in achieving shared growth. “We hope this exhibition will serve as a bridge to convey confidence in cooperation,” she said. “China remains committed to extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefits and stands ready to deepen practical cooperation with Nigeria to stabilize the global industrial chain.”
She also noted that the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China had recently approved the country’s 15th Five-Year Plan. The plan, she said, would further promote high-quality development under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), expand market access, and create a more enabling environment for international trade and investment. Yan added that China is eager to collaborate with Nigeria in the digital economy, green energy, and infrastructure development, while supporting the goals of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
According to Yan, bilateral trade between China and Nigeria reached nearly $21.9 billion in 2024, accounting for about eight percent of China-Africa trade. China remains Nigeria’s largest project contractor and a key investor in major infrastructure such as the Lagos-Ibadan Railway, Lekki Deep Sea Port, and Lagos Light Rail. She reaffirmed that both countries are poised to deepen cooperation in industrial capacity, green transformation, and cultural exchange, reinforcing the Belt and Road partnership as a model for South-South collaboration.
In his remarks, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperative, Trade, and Investment, Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, said the China Commodities Expo was “more than a trade show.” He described it as a dynamic platform advancing Nigeria-China relations, now valued at nearly $24 billion. Sanwo-Olu emphasized that Lagos, backed by strategic infrastructure like the Lagos Free Zone, is ready to leverage this partnership to drive Africa’s trade and industrial transformation.
Also present, Wang Deyang, Deputy Director-General of China’s Trade Development Bureau, noted that both nations share a long-standing bond as major developing countries. He revealed that from January to September 2025, China-Nigeria trade volume reached $20 billion, marking a 32.6% increase year-on-year. Wang praised the growing export of Nigerian agricultural products, such as sesame and cocoa, to China, describing the partnership as one of “mutual benefit, shared growth, and enduring friendship.”
source: The Sun