The Federal Government has urged the Chinese government to take stringent measures to discourage the manufacture of substandard products for export to Nigeria.
The Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, made the call during a meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, according to a statement on Saturday by the Minister’s aide, Bolaji Tunji.
Adelabu noted that while China produces high-quality goods, the proliferation of inferior items tarnishes its reputation and harms Nigerian consumers, insisting that “there must be a minimum standard.”
He also urged Chinese companies to help develop local Nigerian capacity by training workers and transferring knowledge.
Adelabu called for a deeper strategic partnership between Nigeria and China and emphasised that such collaboration is essential to President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and must also advance the local content advocacy of the Federal Government to preserve foreign exchange.
The Minister praised the strong existing bilateral ties of China and Nigeria and noted that trade volume has reached $20 billion.
He also highlighted crucial Chinese investments in Nigeria’s energy infrastructure and specifically pointed to the $1.4 billion Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Plant and a $2.5 billion transmission project for the Eastern and Western super grid, funded through Chinese financial institutions.
He said: “Nigeria is the biggest economy in Africa and China is the biggest in Asia.”
Adelabu proposed that the importance of their relationship warrants more frequent, quarterly meetings to review progress across all segments of the power sector.
The Chinese envoy, Yu Dunhai, said Nigeria’s talented youth and vast market potential are a solid foundation for continued mutual growth and collaboration between Nigeria and China.
He reaffirmed Nigeria’s central importance in China’s foreign policy for Africa and offered the embassy’s full cooperation.
He also acknowledged the transformative potential of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu and expressed his understanding of the immense responsibility on Adelabu.
The envoy also described electricity as the “blood of industry,”
