Nigeria’s commitment to advancing its relationship with China has been underlined by Amb. Baba Ahmad Jidda, the country’s ambassador to China.
Jidda made this statement during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday, August 29, 2022 in Beijing, which was held concurrently with the Commonwealth Society of Beijing (CSB)-organized event for the 2022 International Food Fair at the embassy.
Jidda stated that friendship between Nigeria and China had been mutually beneficial for 66 years since the official opening of diplomatic relations between China and Africa in 1956.
According to Jidda, Nigeria and China have had diplomatic ties for 51 years. We have also inked a number of bilateral agreements between the two countries.
“Nigeria is a very close ally of China, and we have agreements with regard to our countries’ one-China policies, the exchange of educational information, and trade and commerce.
“We have an agreement in bilateral air-services; it is an agreement we signed very recently, which enabled Airpeace airline to fly directly from Lagos to China.
“We also have agreements in facilitating visas for officials and citizens, for instance all Nigeria diplomats do not require a Visa to come to China.
“Just as Nigeria government officials holding government official passports do not require a Visa to come to China; likewise we allow Chinese to go to Nigeria and obtain a Visa on arrival.”
Jidda reported that President Muhammadu Buhari has given the embassy the go-ahead to provide Chinese nationals seeking to invest in Nigeria visas within 48 hours.
He added that these similarities and the various agreements that had been made between the two nations had advanced their diplomatic relationships.
Jidda claimed that despite the challenges faced by students travelling to China, the Chinese government had taken steps to ease travel restrictions.
“We are also very strong members of FOCAC and under that forum we do get support for our Infrastructure development.
“We have about 2,000 Nigerian students in China, unlike other countries battling with students coming back to China to complete their studies, because of their exit during inception of COVID -19.
“I personally pleaded with the students from the onset of COVID-19 not to go anywhere, but to stay in China with the full hope that China will do something tangible to contain the pandemic.
“I have been vindicated; in Wuhan alone we have 65 of our students never left and most of them in University also stayed put and now pursue education peacefully with lots of progress on their own.
“As far as students of Nigeria are concerned, they are comfortable and enjoying their studies and we believe they will conclude their studies, go back home and transfer education technology to our country,” he said.
Jidda prayed that students in Nigeria, as well as many other nations throughout the world, would receive particular treatment so that they may gain more from the relaxation policy.
Even though the COVID-19 outbreak prevented the embassy from celebrating Nigeria’s independence on October 1, 2021, he claimed that this year, more will be done to mark the occasion.
“I remain hopeful that the Nigerian embassy will still take concrete action to commemorate Nigeria’s independence on October 1, which also happens to be my birthday and the anniversary of China’s independence.
The envoy promised that regardless of how it is commemorated, “it is a day that is extremely dear to me as a Nigerian and as a diplomat serving in China.
