President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday sought for the Chinese government’s speedy facilitation to complete the Mambilla power project in Taraba state.
Buhari made the appeal in Beijing, China while signing the bilateral agreement between himself and President Xi Jinping on the sideline of the 74th Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing.
Buhari, during the ceremony, commended the Chinese government for its support for the development of infrastructure in the country.
With the reviewed bilateral cooperation between Nigeria and China, he said that majority of citizens from both countries stand to benefit in terms of the improvement in their living conditions.
He also commended President Xi for successfully hosting the FOCAC summit which he said had brought together African leaders and business entrepreneurs for a win-win dialogue.
He said “I will like to start by congratulating your Excellency and indeed the Chinese government for hosting a very successful forum on China Africa cooperation FOCAC for the past two days. In my earlier meeting with the President.
“I mentioned that this historic event and its outcome has provided the platform for a very prosperous future for the 2 billion Chinese and African citizens. Nigeria and China have come a long way, our journey has been that of mutual respect and support.”
President Buhari explained that China in the last two years has supported Nigeria in the training of security personnel, agricultural modernization and provision of concessional loans which have impacted on the economy.
He said, “In the past 24 months, the Chinese government has provided humanitarian aide to our conflict areas, scholarships to Nigerian youth, military training and security support to our personnel, agriculture modernization training, and concession army loans to fund critical infrastructural projects.
“These interventions have positively impacted on millions of Nigerians and will continue to do so for generations to come. Mr. President, earlier today, I solicited the support of President Xi on the Mambilla hydro project which remains a key priority to Nigeria.
“Our wish is to fund this project with concessionaire loans from China. I will also take this opportunity to appeal to your good office to support this project. President Xi and I also witnessed the signing of the belt and road initiative agreements by Nigeria which I strongly believe will set the foundation for many centuries and mutually beneficial relationship.” Buhari said.
A copy of an agreement signed between Nigeria and China for the ICT sector read in part; “The Chinese government agrees that the Export-Import Bank of China (the creditor) provides for the government of the federal republic of Nigeria (the creditor) Represented by the federal ministry of finance of Nigeria with a concessional loan (herein referred to as “the loan”) of Renminbi Two Billion.
“Three Hundred Million Yuan Only (¥2,300,000,000.00) which shall be utilized to implement the National Information and Communication Technology Infrstructure Backbone Phase II Project. The interest subsidized for the loan shall be paid directly to the Export-Import Bank of China by the Chinese government.”
President Buhari also met with the Chinese Premier Li Keqiang who expressed happiness with the Nigerian Government’s willingness for a stronger partnership.
He noted that as the largest economy in Africa, Nigeria has a viable market that is good for the kind cooperation with China.
“I am very happy to see you again. Nigeria is very important country in Africa with the highest population in the continent. There has been a steady growth of our political relationship and our practical cooperation has also been growing from strength to strength.
“Several years ago, I paid a visit to Nigeria and I was deeply impressed by the tremendous potentials of your market and your strong desire for closer cooperation with China. I am confident that your visit this time will lend new impetus to our bilateral relationship to deliver benefits to both sides.” Li added.