The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, has said Nigeria and China should work towards exceeding the current bilateral trade volume of $13 billion.
The Speaker disclosed this in Abuja on Tuesday when the Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress of China, Zhang Qingwei, visited him at his office in company with the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, and other officials of the Chinese parliament and embassy.
Abbas noted that the business partnership between Nigeria and China will be beneficial for both countries.
He also lauded China’s commitment to the Forum on China- Africa Corporation.
“According to recent reports, the trade volume between our countries has surpassed $13 billion annually, making China Nigeria’s largest trading partner. This relationship has facilitated the growth of Nigeria’s economy through investments in critical sectors such as rail, agriculture, and manufacturing”, he said.
He added that, “the bond between Nigeria and China is one of mutual respect, collaboration, and shared aspirations. Over the years, this partnership has yielded remarkable outcomes in trade, infrastructure development, technology transfer, and cultural exchanges”.
Earlier in his speech, Qingwei urged for better cooperation between China and Nigeria, especially between the countries’ legislatures. He also sought more bilateral deals to inject fresh ideas from both sides.
The Chinese parliamentarian expressed the interest of his country in having more exchange programmes with Nigeria.
“We are willing to step up exchanges,” he said.
