The Chinese government pledged on Wednesday to refinance and complete the Abuja-Kano and Port-Harcourt-Maiduguri railway projects.
The Punch reported that this was according to a statement released on Wednesday by the vice president’s senior special assistant for media and communications, Stanley Nkwocha.
Nkwocha claimed that the President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, made this pledge while responding to requests by President Bola Tinubu, who was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, at a bilateral meeting with the Chinese leader in Beijing.
China had promised to finance 85% of the construction of the Abuja-Kano and Port-Harcourt-Maiduguri railway projects, while Nigeria, who had the obligation to pay the remaining 15%, paid its share of the funds through appropriations from the project’s inception.
China has not yet released financing for the two significant railway projects in Nigeria since the projects were launched, mostly because of commitments and cuts.
The Chinese President promised to enhance investment in Nigeria’s power generation and digital economy when he met with the delegation from Nigeria led by Vice President Shettima at the Peoples Building in China.
He pledged to make the Nigeria-China bilateral relationship even stronger while urging for the security of Chinese people working in Nigeria.
Xi pledged that China would increase political backing and foster collaboration across all sectors. He also promised support for President Bola Tinubu’s eight-point economic agenda and his Renewed Hope Manifesto, promising to further enhance practical cooperation.
China, according to Xi, will promote Nigeria’s exports, particularly those including peanuts, even though the China-Africa talent project remained crucial to its partnership with Nigeria.
In terms of security, the Chinese President vowed to keep up the fight against terrorism and reaffirmed China’s commitment to regional peace, particularly with regard to its long-standing military training and MoUs on joint exercises.
“We encourage Nigeria to play a significant part in preserving the promises made by allies and allies worldwide. I agree with you, Mr. Vice President, when you mentioned scaling up and improving our strategic partnership.
“Nigeria is growing and has great promise. You and I both agree. Our foreign ambassadors are welcome to remain and complete this upgrade.”
Vice President Shettima asserted that Tinubu remains dedicated to fostering closer ties between Nigeria and China, noting that they were marked by respect and absence of politics.
Shettima asserted that Tinubu was still dedicated to forging closer ties between Nigeria and China, noting that these ties were marked by mutual respect, absence of political meddling, and international cooperation.
