Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening its strategic trade and economic partnership with China, citing significant progress in bilateral relations over the course of 2025.
The reaffirmation follows the elevation of Nigeria–China relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, agreed upon by President Bola Tinubu and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Nigerian leader’s state visit to China in September 2024. Since then, engagements between both countries have intensified at political, economic and technical levels, further consolidating ties rooted in mutual respect, development cooperation and shared interests.
Over the past year, collaboration has expanded across key priority sectors, including infrastructure development, trade and investment, industrial capacity building, technology exchange and people-to-people relations. Nigerian officials say these engagements have strengthened institutional linkages and established a clearer framework for achieving mutually beneficial outcomes.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Director-General and Global Liaison of the Nigeria–China Strategic Partnership, Mr. Joseph Tegbe, said Nigeria’s relationship with China remains guided by its long-standing foreign policy principles, including respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as adherence to established international norms.
He noted that, in line with this approach, the Federal Government has consistently upheld the One-China principle as the foundation of its diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China.
Looking ahead to 2026, Tegbe expressed Nigeria’s readiness to consolidate and deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in more practical and results-oriented ways. He said emphasis would continue to be placed on cooperation that directly supports Nigeria’s development priorities, including economic diversification, infrastructure delivery, human capital development, technology transfer and long-term sustainability.
Commenting on the future of the partnership, Tegbe expressed confidence that sustained engagement and shared commitment by both countries would ensure the delivery of lasting outcomes and advance the vision of a China–Nigeria community with a shared future.
