Nigeria has intensified efforts to attract Chinese investments into manufacturing, agriculture, mining and other critical sectors as both countries seek to deepen trade and industrial cooperation.
The investment drive featured prominently at the third Business and Investment Forum organised by the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) in Guangzhou, China, where Chinese investors explored partnership opportunities with Nigerian businesses.
The forum, held in collaboration with Chinese trade organisations and the Nigerian Consulate in Guangzhou, took place on the sidelines of the 140th Canton Fair.
Investors from agribusiness, mining, mineral processing, pharmaceuticals, automobile, renewable energy and manufacturing were presented with investment-ready projects and business proposals by Nigerian business executives and public sector representatives.
Speaking at the event, NACCIMA National President, Jani Ibrahim, urged Chinese investors to expand their presence in Nigeria through direct investments, joint ventures and industrial partnerships.
He said the 55-year diplomatic relationship between both countries should translate into more factories, jobs and increased trade rather than remain limited to agreements and memoranda.
Ibrahim described Nigeria as a major investment destination, citing its population of more than 200 million and access to the wider African market through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which covers about 1.3 billion people.
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He identified energy, solid minerals, agriculture, digital technology and healthcare as sectors offering significant investment opportunities, assuring prospective investors of NACCIMA’s support in business facilitation and partnerships.
Earlier, Nigeria’s Consul General in Guangzhou, Ambassador Mairo Musa Abbas, said the economic potential between Nigeria and China remained largely untapped.
She called for a shift from conventional trade based on exchanging finished products towards investment-driven cooperation focused on local manufacturing, technology transfer, industrial development and job creation.
Abbas said the transition was important to Nigeria’s efforts to diversify its economy, strengthen domestic production and expand exports under the economic reforms of President Bola Tinubu.
She reaffirmed the Consulate’s commitment to promoting economic diplomacy, facilitating investments and strengthening institutional ties between businesses in both countries.
Also speaking, Vice President of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), Guangzhou, Huang Xiaofeng, pledged continued cooperation with NACCIMA and the Nigerian Consulate to strengthen economic ties.
He recalled that CCPIT Guangzhou had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with NACCIMA to sustain the business-to-business forum and improve its impact.
The event attracted Nigerian representatives from government, academia and the private sector, including University of Ilorin Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Wahab Egbewole, and NACCIMA First Deputy President, Dr. Emi Membere-Otaji.
Other participants included representatives of the Nigerian Office for Trade Negotiations, Lekki Worldwide Investments Limited, Alaro City, and UNASCO Aviation Services Limited, which showcased investment and business opportunities during the forum.
