By Udesinanna Stephen
Vice President Kashim Shettima has said Nigeria will shake-up its economic relationship with China, adding that Nigeria is China’s second-largest trading partner in Africa.
The Vice President who is representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the ongoing Belt And Road Initiative Forum in Beijing, China, stated this when he was hosted by his People’s Republic of China counterpart, Vice President Han Zheng, at the Diaoyutai State Guest House, Beijing.
As gathered from Shettima’s X account @officialSKSM, he said
“Nigeria is China’s second-largest trading partner in Africa; it is the largest economy in Africa and the most populous country in the African continent. The Belt and Road Initiative is a big beautiful concept that can be deployed to achieve this”.
According to him, Nigeria’s partnership with China needs to be scaled up, as it remains key to Africa’s development, noting that Nigeria and China, having celebrated 50 years of diplomatic relations in 2021, must now take their destinies into their own hands.
He said, “Our mutually beneficial relationship will be further enhanced and upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership.”