President Bola Tinubu will travel to Beijing, China, in the first week of September, when he will sign many MOUs with his Chinese counterpart, President Xi Jinping. Ajuri Ngelale, the President’s Spokesman, stated this when briefing State House media on Tuesday.
He stated that the President would also pay visits to two important Chinese corporations: Huawei Technologies and the China Railway and Construction Corporation.
“This is with a view to achieving one of Mr. President’s top agenda items, which is the completion of the Ibadan-to-Abuja segment of the Lagos-Kano high-speed rail line,” said Ngelale.
He went on to say that the President would meet with the CEOs of ten large Chinese firms with assets under management totaling more than $3 trillion across several sectors of the economy.
Information and communication technology, oil and gas, aluminum production, harbor construction/dredging services, financial services, and satellite technology are among the industries represented. Ngelale stated that the series of meetings and activities would assist the Nigerian economy and people both now and in the future.
“The MOUs will involve agreements in deepening cooperation in green economy, agriculture, satellite technology development, media enterprise development and promotion, as well as blue economic development and national planning cooperation.
“This is going to be part of a broader engagement where the two heads of state will discuss matters of mutual interest across not just the economy but also on issues of national, regional, and international security,” said the spokesman.
According to him, the President will thereafter join the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Summit, where several African heads of state will be present to engage with Chinese leaders on various important matters.
He said President Tinubu would make a presentation in his capacity as the chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government on behalf of the region.
He said Tinubu would proceed to the high-level peace and security plenary, where he would further make a presentation on peace and security in the region and in Africa.
According to him, the engagement is expected to yield tangible, immediate, and future dividends for the Nigerian economy and for the benefit of the Nigerian people.
“The President will place a premium on deliverables, ensuring that this is not a talk show but will yield results for our people, justifying any expenditure that is made during the course of this trip,” said Ngelale.
