The Federal Government is seeking to attract more Chinese investments into Nigeria’s manufacturing, agriculture, mining and other strategic sectors as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral trade and accelerate industrial development.
The investment drive was highlighted 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 and business leaders explored opportunities for partnerships with Nigerian companies.
The forum, organised in collaboration with the China Chamber of International Commerce (CCOIC), the Consulate General of Nigeria in Guangzhou, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and Window of Canton, held alongside the 140th Canton Fair.
Participants from the agribusiness, mining, mineral processing, pharmaceutical, automobile, renewable energy and manufacturing industries were presented with investment-ready projects and business proposals by Nigerian private-sector representatives and government officials.
Speaking at the event, NACCIMA National President, Jani Ibrahim, called on Chinese investors to expand their presence in Nigeria through direct investments, joint ventures and industrial partnerships.
He noted that Nigeria and China had maintained 55 years of diplomatic relations, arguing that the longstanding relationship should translate into more factories, employment opportunities, industrial development and increased trade.
Ibrahim said Nigeria offered significant investment opportunities, supported by a population of more than 200 million people and access to the wider African market through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which connects businesses to a market of approximately 1.3 billion people.
He identified energy, solid minerals, agriculture, digital technology and healthcare as sectors with considerable investment potential.
The NACCIMA president also described Nigeria’s economic environment as increasingly stable, assuring prospective investors that the association was prepared to provide business guidance, facilitate partnerships and support Chinese companies seeking to establish operations in the country.
He urged both countries to measure the next phase of their relationship through actual investments and industrial projects rather than agreements alone.
Earlier, Nigeria’s Consul General in Guangzhou, Ambassador Mairo Musa Abbas, said the economic relationship between Nigeria and China had significant untapped potential.
She called for a shift from traditional trade, which largely involves exchanging finished products, towards a partnership focused on local manufacturing, technology transfer, industrial expansion and job creation.
Abbas said the transition aligned with the economic reform agenda of President Bola Tinubu, which seeks to diversify Nigeria’s economy, increase domestic production, expand exports and improve conditions for private-sector investment.
She reaffirmed the Nigerian Consulate’s commitment to strengthening economic diplomacy and connecting businesses in both countries.
The diplomat also encouraged Nigerian companies to use the consulate as a platform for identifying business opportunities in China, while assuring Chinese investors of support in navigating investment opportunities in Nigeria.
Also speaking, the Vice President of CCPIT Guangzhou, Huang Xiaofeng, welcomed the Nigerian delegation and pledged continued cooperation with NACCIMA and the Nigerian Consulate to strengthen commercial relations.
He recalled that CCPIT Guangzhou had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with NACCIMA to sustain the business-to-business forum and improve the impact of economic cooperation between the two countries.
The event attracted several Nigerian dignitaries, including the Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Professor Wahab Olasupo Egbewole; NACCIMA First Deputy President, Dr Emi Membere-Otaji; National Vice President, Barrister Jasper Nduagwuike; and President of the Kaduna Chamber of Commerce, Alhaji Farouk Suleiman.
Other participants included NACCIMA China Relations Executive, Alhaji Zakirudeen Oladotun, and representatives of Nigerian businesses and institutions.
Exhibitions and networking sessions featured investment opportunities from the University of Ilorin, Nigerian Office for Trade Negotiations, Lekki Worldwide Investments Limited, Alaro City and UNASCO Aviation Services Limited.
The initiative reflects Nigeria’s broader efforts to attract foreign capital, strengthen local industries and move beyond the export of raw materials towards greater domestic processing and value addition.
