By Yi Xin

In recent years, the friendly relations between China and Nigeria have continued to deepen across various fields, including economics, trade, and culture, showcasing the strong vitality of China-Africa cooperation. Recently, the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo’s Africa (Nigeria) Special Session and the 18th China Engineering Technology Exhibition were successfully held at the Abuja Trade and Conference Center in Nigeria, marking a new highlight in China-Nigeria cooperation.

The event attracted around 350 representatives from Chinese and African enterprises, business associations, financial institutions, and scholars, who gathered to explore new opportunities for economic and trade cooperation and to promote in-depth collaboration in multiple areas. This event serves as an important step in China and Nigeria jointly fostering bilateral development and creating a prosperous future.

The expo not only showcased China’s advanced technologies and products in fields such as new energy, building materials, machinery and equipment, power transmission and transformation, household appliances and furniture, manufacturing, and health care but also highlighted Nigeria’s market potential and cooperation opportunities as one of Africa’s largest economies.

Liu Delin, Director of the Port Office of Hunan Province, mentioned during the event that in recent years, Hunan has actively leveraged its “unique conditions,” “first-mover advantage,” and “Africa’s endowments” to achieve fruitful results in Sino-African economic and trade cooperation. Hunan province is actively implementing the spirit of the Beijing Summit of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum through national-level platforms such as the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo.

It is also building “six major centers,” including a non-resource-based product distribution center in Africa, to further deepen China-Africa cooperation. As a pioneer in local-level China-Africa economic and trade cooperation, Hunan province is fully committed to establishing “three zones and one hall”—the China-Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation Pilot Zone, Innovation Demonstration Zone, Comprehensive Testing Zone, and the China-Africa Economic and Trade Exhibition Hall, striving to build a new highland for China-Africa economic and trade cooperation.

During the event, Ebong Ini, Vice President of First Bank of Nigeria; Guan Shuai, General Manager of Zhongtu Nigeria Limited; and Ding Song, General Manager for West Africa at Zoomlion Heavy Industry, gave speeches promoting the achievements and potential opportunities of China-Nigeria cooperation. Notably, during the meeting, the “Africa Green Development Index and China-Africa Green Development Cooperation (2024)” report was released, providing scientific guidance for the two countries’ cooperation in green development. This reflects the high importance both China and Nigeria place on sustainable development and further consolidates their cooperation in this field.

The exhibition lasted for three days and set up multiple thematic areas, showcasing China’s innovative manufacturing strength and Nigeria’s vast market demand. It served as a platform for exchange and cooperation between Chinese and Nigerian enterprises. Whether in the fields of new energy, infrastructure construction, agricultural machinery, or healthcare, both sides demonstrated broad prospects for cooperation.

From historical roots to current cooperation, China-Nigeria relations have always been characterized by friendship and mutual trust. Under the framework of China-Africa cooperation, Nigeria, as the most populous country in Africa and a key economic hub, is an important partner in China-Africa relations. In recent years, more and more Chinese enterprises have entered Nigeria, participating in local infrastructure projects, industrialization, and people’s livelihood initiatives, helping Nigeria achieve economic diversification and sustainable development. At the same time, Nigeria has provided vast market opportunities and resources to Chinese enterprises, becoming an important bridge for China-Africa cooperation.

Looking ahead, China and Nigeria will continue to achieve win-win results through cooperation. Whether in economic cooperation, green development, or cultural exchanges, both countries will strengthen communication and collaboration to jointly build a new model of China-Africa cooperation. The successful hosting of this expo is undoubtedly a new milestone in China-Nigeria friendship, and it will certainly pave the way for a brighter future in bilateral relations.

The author is a Beijing-based observer of international affairs.