The bilateral trade between Nigeria and China reached an all-time high of $15.1 billion (about N25.7 trillion) between January and September 2024, with China’s imports from Nigeria increasing by 36.1 per cent year-on-year.
The Acting Consul General, Consulate-General of China, Jin Mingyu, made this disclosure at the weekend, at a civic reception organised to welcome the arrival of the first vessel on COSCO’s new route to dock at Lekki Port.
He revealed that as of September, Lekki Port’s 2024 cargo throughput exceeded 160,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), and that the Chinese government looks forward to seeing more merchant ships transporting unique Nigerian products to China.
He highlighted that the growth of China-Nigeria trade relies mainly on collaboration, adding that the Chinese government hopes to see multinational enterprises working together to facilitate trade, build a modern port and logistics network in Nigeria, as well as share access to the vast Chinese market, and realise the benefits of development.
He stated that both countries can seize the historic opportunity that globalisation offers to developing countries worldwide.