The Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, has reiterated China’s commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation with Nigeria, particularly in the solid minerals sector.
Dunhai during a courtesy visit to the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, during the weekend, emphasised the strategic importance of Nigeria in China’s foreign policy.
“Nigeria is a great country blessed with tremendous natural resources. Chinese companies are already deeply involved in Nigeria’s mining sector, from exploration to processing.
”We aim to deepen this collaboration, especially in line with President Bola Tinubu’s eight priority areas, notably economic diversification through solid minerals,” he said.
The ambassador highlighted the recent high-level engagement between President Tinubu and President Xi Jinping, which agreed to elevate bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership.
He also emphasised the Chinese government’s stance on responsible investment, stating that the embassy advised Chinese firms to respect local laws and uphold environmental and safety standards.
“We have zero tolerance for illegal mining. The Chinese government is ready to cooperate with Nigerian authorities to bring any culprits to justice,” he said.
Dunhai further welcomed Nigeria’s value-addition agenda, disclosing plans to establish electric vehicle factories and other manufacturing ventures in Nigeria.
He noted that this aligns with President Xi Jinping’s goal of promoting African industrialization.
Minister Alake acknowledged China’s longstanding support for Nigeria’s economic development but expressed concern over the activities of a few operators tarnishing China’s image.
He called for collaboration in bringing such culprits to justice and highlighted the government’s efforts to curb illegal mining through the deployment of Mining Marshals.
“We need your cooperation in ensuring that such culprits are brought to justice.
”We now prioritise local processing to drive Nigeria’s development. For instance, with the abundance of lithium, we want to see local manufacturing of electric vehicles and batteries,” Alake said.
The minister encouraged Chinese investors to adopt a full-cycle investment approach within Nigeria, emphasising that this would help harness the country’s large market and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
