President of the Red Chamber, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has called for closer collaboration between Nigeria’s parliament and its Chinese partner to reinforce the diplomatic, trade, and legislative bond between both countries.
Akpabio made the appeal while welcoming the new Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, alongside various officials from the Chinese Embassy, during a courtesy visit to his office.
The Senate President highlighted Nigeria’s aim to leverage the outcomes of President Bola Tinubu’s recent visit to China and the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) which took place in September. He encouraged the Chinese government to deepen parliamentary engagement as a pathway to cultivating more grounded relations.
“We want to urge you to continue in that line of helping to improve diplomatic and trade relations between Nigeria and China, especially by promoting democratic relations through the Parliament,” Akpabio said.
He proposed the establishment of a Nigeria-China Parliamentary Friendship Group to facilitate the exchange of ideas and promote cooperation between the legislative bodies of both countries.
“Nigeria has a lot to learn from China, and we are very prepared to do so. I thank you for visiting the Nigerian Senate. I welcome and assure you of our cooperation to assist in ensuring a fraternal relationship between our two countries,” Akpabio added.
Ambassador Yu Dunhai, in his comments, underscored the strong momentum in Nigeria-China relations, noting the importance of President Tinubu’s recent visit to Beijing, which rbrought about the consenting to several bilateral agreements.
“Cooperation between our legislatures is a very important part of our bilateral relations,” Yu said. “I am looking forward to working with people from all walks of life to translate the important consensus reached by our leaders into action.”
The ambassador likewise communicated optimism about promoting deeper parliamentary ties, lauding the Senate President for his commitment to solidifying Nigeria-China relations.
The meeting further underpinned the significance of legislative diplomacy as a key driver of Nigeria-China relations, which have extended fundamentally in trade, infrastructure, and other areas over recent years.
