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Ambassador Talks: Nigerian Ambassador Baba Ahmad Jidda: ‘China is our second home

Published

6 years ago

December 6, 2020

For our special Ambassador Talks series, we speak to Nigeria’s top representative in China. At the beginning of the year, when many diplomats fled China as the outbreak was slamming Wuhan, the ambassador did the opposite — he returned. CGTN’S Wu Guoxiu brings us his story.

The Nigerian Embassy lies in Beijing’s Sanlitun, an area in Chaoyang district popular among expats with a large number of embassies. Ambassador Baba Ahmad Jidda’s office is on the second floor.

If you ask him to show you one of the fancy things he keeps, he’ll probably show you something his wife bought for him, such as this special Chinese plant.

BABA AHMAD JIDDA Nigerian Ambassador to China “My wife brought it to my office. She said this one brings you a lot of fortune, a lot of money. Chinese Bank of China money will come to this, the Exit and Import Bank money will come, so I send it to Nigeria for infrastructure development.”

Jidda took up his current post in September 2017. At the beginning of the year, he went back to Nigeria for the Christmas holiday. But when Wuhan was struck by COVID-19, he decided to rush back to Beijing.

BABA AHMAD JIDDA Nigerian Ambassador to China “China is our second home. So I discussed with my wife and said we cannot be away from China during the trying time of China. And in any case, there were so many Nigerians in China, especially students. So there is a need for me to go back, as a captain of the ship to ensure we sink or swim with China. So I returned to Beijing with my wife. And everybody was surprised to see us, because the airport was empty, very few people. Few immigration officers were even there. It was like there was nobody. We have 75 Nigerians in Wuhan, 65 of them were students. 10 are other Nigerians. I told them please stay put. I assure you that things will be good. So we sent them support, and the government did more than we did to support the students and other Nigerians.

I made a press conference, a press release, urging all Nigerians to stay in China, assuring them that sooner or later China will do something about the COVID-19. Finally, I’ve been vindicated that China contained the virus. In the whole world today, China is the safest. Therefore I feel very proud that I have taken that bold decision to come back to China when everybody was running out of China.”

WU GUOXIU Beijing “Can you share any personal stories or moments about how our two countries fought the pandemic together?”

BABA AHMAD JIDDA Nigerian Ambassador to China “In the case of Nigeria, we have the CCECC this big construction company undertaking railways and airports, were very helpful. And loads of medical equipment and medical personnel, you know, were sent to Nigeria, and they have done great job. They trained my people, making sure some of the equipments that we lack were provided, and we have since been cooperating in that area, and we’ll not stop appreciating China for the support that was mostly needed at the time it was given.”

WU GUOXIU Beijing “With the coronavirus situation now under control in China, what are the major focuses of bilateral cooperation?”

BABA AHMAD JIDDA Nigerian Ambassador to China “China believes in multilateralism. China does not operate alone. China must ensure that other countries in the world also get healthy. Maybe that’s the reason his Excellency President Xi Jinping contributed some of 2 billion US dollars during the last World Health Assembly.

Maybe that’s why China is everyday supporting the World Health Organization, because it’s very important for other countries to be healthy, for us to conduct bilateral relations, especially African countries. We can’t not wait to receive vaccine from China, we cannot wait to see China sending millions of vaccines to Africa, so that the Forum for China-Africa Cooperation, the Belt and Road Initiative you know, to have healthy countries, to have health bilateral and multilateral relationship with China.”

WU GUOXIU Beijing “There have been words saying China’s been setting a debt trap for Africa, how do you respond to this? ”

BABA AHMAD JIDDA Nigerian Ambassador to China “If you are naive type of leader, you’ll be frightened of what the western press says about China’s loans to Africa. But our leaders are responsible leaders, our leaders are intellectuals, they are educated, they know what’s good for their people.”

Jidda says he’s been to almost every province in China. He praises China’s development blueprint, saying that the “five-year plan” is an important tool for the country’s progress.

BABA AHMAD JIDDA Nigerian Ambassador to China “The 14th development plan of China is like a global plan. It encompasses almost everything the world is going through, because China has reached a point where whatever it does, affects the rest of the world. The plan has its ramifications to friendly countries, like African countries, they mentioned the Forum for China-Africa Cooperation, mentioned the Belt and Road Initiative, and these are areas that touches on several other countries of the world.”

Ambassador Jidda says he’s staying in China for his second three-year term, as he aims to deepen the already friendly ties between his host, and home, countries. Wu Guoxiu, CGTN, Beijing.

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Strategic Partnerships, Diaspora Investment and Improved Workforce Critical to Industrialization-DG RMRDC

Published

1 day ago

November 12, 2026

The Gleamer

By: Stella Azi and Adaora Adibe

The Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Prof. Nnanyelugo Ike-Muonso, has called for a strategic shift from the exportation of raw commodities to domestic processing, manufacturing and value addition, declaring that Nigeria possesses enormous untapped raw material resources capable of driving industrialisation, creating jobs and strengthening the country’s economic competitiveness.

Prof. Ike-Muonso made this submission in a lecture titled Unlocking Nigeria’s Raw Material Value Chain for Industrialization, Manufacturing and Competitiveness, where he presented an extensive assessment of Nigeria’s resource endowments, industrial challenges and emerging investment opportunities across agricultural commodities, solid minerals and waste-based raw materials.

The lecture highlighted a combined US$2.65 trillion global market opportunity across 30 major raw material value chains, comprising 12 agricultural value chains valued at US$932 billion, 11 mineral value chains worth US$1.352 trillion and seven circular-economy value chains estimated at US$366 billion.

According to the RMRDC Boss, Nigeria must move beyond the traditional approach of extracting and exporting raw materials to building competitive domestic industries that transform these resources into intermediate products, industrial inputs and finished goods for local consumption and international markets.

He observed that the country’s manufacturing sector has struggled to sustain its 2014 peak, with its contribution to real Gross Domestic Product declining from 9.64 per cent in 2014 to 8.05 per cent in 2025, representing a 16.5 per cent decline. He also drew attention to the increasing cost of raw material imports, which rose to US$20.5 billion in 2025, approximately six times the 2020 level.

He explained that the growing dependence on imported industrial inputs exposes Nigerian manufacturers to foreign exchange volatility, increases production costs and weakens the competitiveness of locally manufactured products.

Prof. ke-Muonso stressed that the solution lies in developing domestic raw material value chains through deliberate investment in processing facilities, research and development, technology, infrastructure and stronger linkages between producers, processors and manufacturers.

He identified agriculture, solid minerals and industrial waste as three major resource platforms for Nigeria’s industrial transformation, stating the country’s significant production capacity and the enormous opportunities available for downstream processing.

Ike-Muonso noted that Nigeria produces over 63 million metric tonnes of cassava annually, making it the world’s largest producer, while also maintaining strong positions in cocoa, cashew, sesame, palm oil and cotton. However, more than 80 per cent of agricultural output leaves farms without adequate processing, resulting in the loss of significant economic value and industrial opportunities.

In the solid minerals sector, he identified more than 44 commercially viable minerals across over 500 locations, including lithium, gold, barite, bitumen, iron ore and high-grade limestone, describing them as strategic resources capable of supporting steel production, energy storage, electrification and advanced manufacturing.

The DG further drew attention to Nigeria’s industrial and agro-waste resources, noting that the country generates over 32 million tonnes of solid waste annually. He explained that agricultural residues, cassava peels, scrap metals, plastics and electronic waste could serve as important feedstock for bio-fertilisers, industrial chemicals, recycled polymers, energy production and other manufacturing applications.

In the agricultural sector, the DG identified cassava and industrial starch, cotton and natural textiles, natural rubber and elastomers, oil palm and oleochemicals, maize derivatives and cocoa processing as priority areas requiring increased investment.

He explained that processing agricultural commodities into industrial starch, sweeteners, textiles, technical rubber, specialty fats and other intermediate products would enable Nigeria to capture more value from its agricultural resources while reducing dependence on imported industrial inputs.

For the minerals sector, he highlighted crude oil-to-olefins and petrochemicals, lithium and energy storage, iron ore and steel, rare earth elements, bauxite and aluminium, and copper and electrification as strategic investment opportunities.

He particularly emphasised the importance of moving beyond mineral extraction into beneficiation, refining, battery precursors, industrial chemicals, metal fabrication and advanced materials production.

On the circular economy, Prof. Ike-Muonso identified electronic waste recovery, scrap metal recycling, plastic waste processing, agro-waste valorisation and battery recycling as emerging industrial opportunities.

He explained that transforming waste into productive industrial feedstock would not only reduce environmental pollution but also create new manufacturing industries, generate employment and reduce the importation of valuable industrial materials.

He noted that to address the structural challenges confronting raw material-based industrialisation, the DG highlighted the strategic interventions of the RMRDC, particularly the proposed 30% Value Addition Bill and the Nigeria Integrated Information Statistical System for Raw Materials and Products (NISSRAMP).

He described the 30% Value Addition Bill as an important policy instrument designed to encourage domestic processing of raw materials before export, strengthen local manufacturing capacity and guarantee access to essential raw materials for Nigerian industries, and NISSRAMP as a critical data infrastructure that would improve access to verified information on the availability, location and quality of raw materials.

According to him, the combination of appropriate policy instruments and reliable resource data would help de-risk investments, improve transparency and strengthen confidence in Nigeria’s raw material sector.

He emphasised the importance of collaboration among government, academia and industry in developing bankable projects, sharing investment risks and accelerating the establishment of processing and manufacturing facilities.

Professor Ike-Muonso called on Nigerians in the diaspora and other local and international investors to take advantage of the opportunities available in Nigeria’s raw material sector.

He identified industrial processing parks, mineral beneficiation and refining, agro-industrial platforms, circular-material processing, industrial input manufacturing and enabling infrastructure as viable investment platforms.

He noted that diaspora investors could contribute beyond financial capital by bringing technology, international business networks, governance standards, technical expertise and access to global markets.

He maintained that Nigeria’s industrial transformation requires coordinated investment across the entire value chain, from raw material sourcing and aggregation to processing, manufacturing, certification and export development.

Professor Ike-Muonso stressed that the country’s industrial future would depend not merely on the volume of raw materials extracted but on the capacity to transform them into competitive products that meet domestic and international market requirements.

He maintained that developing local value chains would stimulate industrial growth, create employment opportunities, diversify exports, conserve foreign exchange and deepen Nigeria’s technological capabilities.

Through its strategic interventions, the RMRDC is positioning itself as a critical bridge between resource availability, investment opportunities and industrial competitiveness, with the ultimate objective of transforming Nigeria from a predominantly raw material exporting economy into a strong manufacturing and value-adding nation.

Ike-Muonso has demonstrated this since assumption of office as the Director General/ CEO RMRDC in the area of capacity building, improved working conditions, promotion of merit, and maintaining a conducive environment that rewards excellence, innovation and dedication. This is evident in his institution of RMRDC training school, reward for winners of the RMRDC innovation challenge among others.

His commitment has brought recognition both nationally and internationally: Al-Jazirah double honour awards as Public Servant /Government Agency of the year 2024-2025 and the recent election as the Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Representative on the Board of the World Association of Industrial and Technological Research Organisations (WAITRO) is a attestation to his commitment.

Concluding the lecture, the DG charged staff, researchers, manufacturers and investors to see themselves as nation builders in the new era of raw materials-led industrialization.

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