Nigeria on Thursday reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening trade relations with China.

The permanent secretary of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Evelyn Ngige, disclosed this at the China-Nigeria Investment Economic and Trade Promotion Conference organised by the Changsha Municipal Bureau of Commerce and sponsored by Changsha Municipal People’s Government.

She said the federal government remained committed to providing a sustainable platform for cooperation and mutual benefit of both countries.

The permanent secretary said plans were ongoing for activities that would deepen the relationship.

According to her, part of the collaboration include an upcoming trade expo.

She said the expo, titled ‘China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo (CAETE)’ was scheduled to hold in Changsha, Hunan, China, between June 29 and July 2.

Ms Ngige said ahead of the expo, Nigeria Export Promotion Council(NEPC) would launch the Export Trading House in China between April 19 and April 22.

“The upcoming Expo is strategic for Africa and Asia to further improve collaborations and deepen economic relationships. The world is changing rapidly, and with emerging global events, economic and trade alliances are strategic for prosperity,” the permanent secretary explained.

She added, “The relationship between Nigeria and China has so far been cordial and mutually beneficial.”

Ms Ngige said both countries had enjoyed mutually beneficial bilateral trade and economic cooperation in various sectors.

According to her, some of the sectors are agriculture, manufacturing, education, health, tourism, industry, mining, and skills development.

On trade volume, the permanent secretary said, “Nigeria has continued to be China’s number one trading partner in Africa. The volume of trade between the two nations stood at over $12.03 billion in 2021, representing an increase of 7.1 per cent in 2020.”

(NAN)