The President of the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Chief Emeka Obegolu, has called on the Nigerian Government to take urgent and strategic steps to enhance the ease of doing business with China.
He particularly emphasised the need to fast-track the full implementation and expansion of the Nigeria–China currency swap agreement.
Chief Obegolu made this call during a courtesy visit to the Nigerian Embassy in Beijing, China, where he expressed deep concern over the growing difficulties Nigerian businesses face in transacting with Chinese partners, especially around currency exchange and international payments.
Recall that last year, the Central Bank of Nigeria renewed a 15 billion yuan ($2bn) currency-swap agreement with China to boost trade and investment between the two countries.
A statement by ACCI’s Media & Strategy Officer, Olayemi John-Mensah, on Thursday, revealed that the chamber has received numerous reports of Nigerian entrepreneurs losing significant sums while attempting to transfer legitimate business funds to China through informal and risky currency exchange channels.
As the leader of the Organised Private Sector in the Federal Capital Territory and its environs, the ACCI president described the Nigeria–China currency swap agreement as a commendable initiative that remains significantly underutilised, currently accounting for less than 10 per cent of annual bilateral trade.
He urged the Nigerian and Chinese governments to revisit the agreement’s operational framework to expand its scope, enhance its efficiency, and ensure better access to the facility for Nigerian businesses.
The statement read, “We have received numerous reports of Nigerian entrepreneurs losing substantial amounts of money while trying to transfer legitimate business funds to China due to informal and risky currency exchange mechanisms. Some have become victims of outright fraud. This undermines trust, trade integrity, and the sustainability of our commercial relationship with China.
“The recent renewal of the swap deal is encouraging, but more is required. We must scale up the value and duration of the swap, digitise the exchange process, and empower commercial banks to facilitate direct Naira–Yuan transactions. Doing so will reduce our dependence on the US dollar and make trade between our countries faster, safer, and more predictable for our business community.”
He added that the current swap agreement remains inadequate in comparison to the growing trade volume between Nigeria and China.
“If effectively implemented, the currency swap program will lower transaction costs, reduce reliance on third-party currencies like the U.S. Dollar, and protect Nigerian businesses from avoidable risks,” he noted. “It is time for deliberate policy action to institutionalise this framework as a mainstream channel for international trade.”
To enhance the impact of the currency swap initiative, Obegolu recommended expanding the agreement’s value and duration, encouraging greater participation of commercial banks in Yuan–Naira transactions, digitising interbank exchange platforms in partnership with Chinese banks, and providing comprehensive education and awareness for traders on how to use and benefit from the mechanism.
He also appealed to the Nigerian Embassy in China to intensify efforts in facilitating strategic connections between Nigerian and Chinese businesses and to continue supporting advocacy aimed at easing trade constraints.
While acknowledging the broader gains of Nigeria–China cooperation in sectors such as infrastructure, telecommunications, agriculture, and energy, he stressed the need for a financial architecture that supports smooth trade settlement as a core pillar of the partnership.
He called for stronger collaboration between diplomatic missions, financial regulators, and private sector institutions to develop seamless interbank exchange systems and promote awareness of the advantages of local currency trade settlements.
Obegolu reaffirmed ACCI’s commitment to supporting government policies that drive economic diversification, strengthen international trade, and protect Nigerian enterprises abroad. He added that the Chamber remains actively engaged in strategic partnerships with Chinese institutions to promote investment, capacity building, and business matchmaking opportunities for Nigerian entrepreneurs.
During the visit, Obegolu was accompanied by Mr Tony Ejinkeonye, a former President of ACCI, and expressed appreciation to Ambassador Babagana Wakil and the embassy staff for their continued support to Nigerian institutions and businesses in China.
