Abuja – Nigeria and the People’s Republic of China have concluded arrangements to hold a high-level political consultation meeting in July 2026 as both nations move to strengthen their strategic partnership and expand cooperation across critical sectors of their economies.

The planned consultation emerged from a meeting between the Permanent Secretary of Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Dunoma Umar, and the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, in Abuja.

According to a statement issued by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, the meeting focused on preparations for the forthcoming political consultations and other bilateral engagements expected to deepen relations between the two countries.

Ahmed reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to enhancing its long-standing partnership with China, describing the relationship as a key pillar of the country’s foreign policy and economic development agenda.

He stressed the importance of continuous dialogue and coordination between both governments ahead of upcoming engagements, particularly the Nigeria-China Sub-Committee Meeting.

The Permanent Secretary noted that regular consultations would help both nations align their priorities and strengthen cooperation in areas of shared interest.

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During the discussions, Nigeria reiterated its commitment to the One-China Policy, emphasizing its determination to deepen collaboration with Beijing in strategic sectors including industrialisation, agriculture, transportation, information and communication technology, healthcare, education and human capital development.

Ahmed highlighted the Federal Government’s focus on value addition, manufacturing and technology-driven economic growth, noting that partnerships with China remain vital to achieving Nigeria’s economic transformation objectives.

For his part, Ambassador Yu reaffirmed China’s commitment to expanding its comprehensive strategic partnership with Nigeria.

He explained that the upcoming consultations would provide an opportunity for both countries to assess progress made on agreements reached during President Bola Tinubu’s state visit to China in September 2024, as well as subsequent bilateral engagements.

The Chinese envoy praised the growing cooperation between the two nations, particularly in infrastructure development, trade, industrialisation, power generation and railway modernisation.

He also pointed to the positive impact of China’s zero-tariff policy on eligible Nigerian exports, which came into effect on May 1, 2026.

According to Yu, the policy has already contributed to increased Nigerian exports to the Chinese market and is expected to stimulate further investment, industrial expansion and job creation.

The ambassador also expressed appreciation for Nigeria’s support on issues of mutual concern and reiterated China’s readiness to cooperate more closely with Nigeria on regional peace and security initiatives, counter-terrorism efforts, multilateral diplomacy, artificial intelligence governance, educational exchanges, cultural diplomacy and youth development programmes.

Yu further acknowledged the efforts of the Nigerian government and security agencies in addressing security concerns affecting foreign nationals and investments, while encouraging sustained measures to ensure a safe environment for businesses and investors.

Both countries reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining close consultations and strengthening bilateral cooperation to achieve shared development objectives.

The meeting concluded with both sides expressing confidence in the continued growth of the Nigeria-China strategic partnership and optimism that the July political consultation would further consolidate relations between Africa’s largest economy and one of its most important global partners.