Nigeria’s ambassador to China has reaffirmed the two countries’ commitment to deepening cooperation.
Ambassador Baba Ahmad Jidda said this on Monday in Beijing, on the sideline of the 2022 International Food Fair organised by the Commonwealth Society of Beijing (CSB) held at the embassy.
Ambassador Jidda said the friendship between Nigeria and China had been a win-win.
He added that it had been 66 years since China and Africa officially opened diplomatic cooperation.
“Nigeria and China have been having diplomatic relations for 51 years now and we have signed numerous bilateral agreements between Nigeria and China,” Ambassador Jidda said.
“Nigeria is a very close friend of China and we have an agreement on the one-China policy and our country.
“We have an agreement in the exchange of education, we have agreements relating to trade and commerce.
“We have an agreement in bilateral air-services; it is an agreement we signed very recently, which enabled Airpeace airline to fly directly from Lagos to China.
“We also have agreements in facilitating visas for officials and citizens, for instance, all Nigerian diplomats do not require a visa to come to China.
“Just as Nigerian government officials holding government official passports do not require a visa to come to China; likewise we allow the Chinese to go to Nigeria and obtain a visa on arrival.”
Ambassador Jidda said that President Muhammadu Buhari had directed the embassy to issue visas to Chinese wanting to go to Nigeria for investment within 48 hours.
He further said that both countries had shared similarities and also established numerous agreements, adding that such brought about progress in their diplomatic relations.
