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Africa has benefitted a lot under FOCAC says Nigerian envoy

Published

5 years ago

October 16, 2021

By John Okeke

The Consul General , Consulate General of Nigeria in Shaghai , His Excellency . Chimezie Okeoma Ogu has affirmed that the African continent has benefitted a lot under Forum on China-African Cooperation (FOCAC).

The envoy who spoke at Jiangsu-Africa Cooperation Conference and China Africa local Government Cooperation Forum held on 12th October, 2021, Nantong with this year theme: Unity and Cooperation, Seeks Common Development and Work Together to Build a Closer China-Africa Community with a Shared Future” said Africa is a reliable friend and partner of China.

“The Government and the People of China have done very well within the platform of FOCAC. The cooperation between both sides have witnessed tremendous cooperation, building of unity and understanding between both sides.

“Africa as a continent has benefited a lot within mechanism of FOCAC and lots of goodwill in the area of infrastructure development from the Chinese side,” he said.

The envoy who said Africa appreciates China, however, noted that there are gaps that need to be closed by both sides.

He said ,” as I especially invite the Government of Jiangsu Province and businessmen to increase their presence by investing more in African contenient in the win-win cooperation. The need to close this gap calls for both sides to increase our mutual interaction in the area of business investment.

“Both sides need to develop a strong bond and also a network of honest and sincere communication in our bilateral engagements both in the public and private sector to achieve our common goals.

“Honesty and sincerity are an essential ingredient in the growth and progress of friendly countries with shared values, visions and expectations,” he said.

According to the , Consul General, China needs to carry Africa as an abiding trusted alley in all its bilateral and multilateral engagements, adding ” In as much as Africa needs China in its quest for development, China also needs Africa’s support in the area of global politics with the United Nations.”

He said,” very importantly, China needs to unite with Africa and carry her in its multi-lateral aspirations in world polities. It can only realize this, by assuring Africa of its sincerity to assist the continent by providing the best of modern infrastructure needs and demands of our people.”

“In this way, a better perception, understanding and knowledge of the true spirit of Chinese fraternity with Africa will be understood in the context of our continental framework of FOCAC,” the envoy added.

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Alake Inaugurates Nigeria-US Solid Minerals Committee, Dismisses $700bn Claim, Says No Assets Sold

Published

10 hours ago

October 28, 2026

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, on Tuesday inaugurated the Nigeria-United States Committee on Strategic Cooperation in the Solid Minerals Sector in Abuja, dismissing reports that Nigeria sold $700 billion worth of solid minerals to the US.

The inauguration followed the strategic cooperation framework established between Nigeria and the United States during the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Head PRESS and Public Relations Department Mrs. Kania Maliki Andeyaba stated that, Alake in the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, signed with the US is a government-to-government platform to facilitate business-to-business engagements between American investors and Nigerian local operators, not a sale of assets.

Harping on the importance of the solid minerals sector to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic diversification agenda, he noted that the administration was committed to reducing dependence on a mono-product economy through the sustainable development of Nigeria’s vast mineral resources.

According to him, the Nigeria–US partnership as a strategic initiative to attract investment, promote technology transfer, strengthen local mineral processing and create employment opportunities.

“There is no sale of any Nigerian asset. There’s nothing exchanging hands,” Alake declared.

“We created a platform to facilitate mingling of US investment ventures with Nigeria’s local operators. It is in the public domain. We signed it in public and published it in four or five national newspapers.”

The Minister said reports claiming the US was coming to take over Nigeria’s minerals and security architecture were untrue at best and products of riotous imagination at worst.

Explaining the policy thrust, Alake said Africa has historically held the short end of the stick in global economic transactions, and Nigeria is determined to change that model.

“We have the resources, the critical elements the world needs to transit to clean energy. So we are creating a new paradigm — you bring your capital, expertise and technology, to match with our natural resources and create a win-win situation . The investor gains, Nigeria gains.’’he said.

Nigeria, he stressed, had operated a mono-cultural economy dependent on oil, while solid minerals were exploited informally — with ores taken “from pit to port” without value addition.

Alake said government has now made local processing mandatory, refusing to grant mineral titles to investors without a clear pathway to processing in Nigeria.

He said the policy led to the springing up of processing factories, including the largest lithium processing plant in West Africa commissioned recently in Nasarawa by the Vice President, and informed the formation of the African Minerals Strategy Group.

Alake noted that investor confidence has returned due to macro-economic reforms by President Bola Tinubu that guarantee security of tenure and repatriation of profits.

He charged the committee to discharge its assignment responsibly, saying its work is strategic to achieving the President’s $1 trillion economy target.

To this end, he told the Committee to ensure effective coordination, identify investment opportunities and translate the framework into measurable outcomes capable of positioning Nigeria as a competitive player in the global solid minerals industry.

In his welcome address, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Engr. Faruk Yusuf Yabo, said the inauguration translates growing bilateral engagements into a structured framework for practical cooperation and investment mobilization

Economic Officer at the US Embassy, Jonathan Baas, said President Donald Trump has prioritized three areas for US embassies — energy, artificial intelligence/super intelligence, and critical minerals.

Baas said Washington’s direction is to work with partners to secure critical supply chains while ensuring partners capture value.

“We just signed a contract today on looking into building AI data centres in Nigeria at the Nigerian Economic Summit. That’s the direction Washington wants us to go,” he said.

In his vote of thanks, CEO/Managing Director of Nigeria Solid Minerals Company, NSMC said that the committee

is expected to coordinate implementation, facilitate investment and monitor progress towards achieving the objectives of the Nigeria–US cooperation framework.

The inauguration reinforces the Federal Government’s commitment to repositioning the solid minerals sector as a key driver of economic diversification, industrial development and national prosperity under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

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