Michael Olugbode in Abuja
Asian economic giant, China, imported almost $2.3 billion worth of Nigerian goods in just six months, marking an almost 80 per cent increase over the same period in 2025, the Chargé d’Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, Zhou Hongyou, said yesterday.
The sharp rise comes as total trade between both countries surged by 75 per cent year-on-year to $18 billion. The figures are significant for Nigeria, which has long struggled to translate its enormous agricultural, mineral and manufacturing potential into sustained export earnings.
Zhou, speaking at the Nigeria-China Food Festival at the China Cultural Centre, said Beijing’s zero-tariff policy for African countries with diplomatic relations with China presented Nigeria with an opportunity to dramatically expand its exports to the Chinese market.
“This is a great chance for Nigeria to expand exports to China,” the diplomat declared.
For decades, Nigeria’s export earnings have been heavily dependent on petroleum, while China has emerged as one of Nigeria’s most important trading partners. The latest figures indicate that the relationship is expanding beyond the traditional pattern of trade.
Zhou said the growing economic relationship was being matched by increasing cultural and people-to-people exchanges, noting that 2026 marks 55 years of formal diplomatic relations between Nigeria and China.
He urged both countries to deepen cooperation in education, culture, technology, the arts and youth affairs, arguing that stronger people-to-people ties would help sustain the bilateral relationship for future generations.
The Chinese envoy’s remarks came against the backdrop of the Nigeria-China Food Festival, where food was used to demonstrate the potential of cultural exchange and the economic value of Nigeria’s culinary heritage.
Representing the Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, the Permanent Secretary, Abdulkarim Ibrahim, said Nigeria’s food industry represented a major economic opportunity, particularly through tourism, hospitality and job creation.
He said food and beverages constituted the largest subsector of Nigeria’s tourism economy and called for greater Nigeria-China collaboration in gastronomy, tourism, hospitality, culinary education and creative entrepreneurship.
The Director General of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism, Aare Abisoye Fagade, said Nigeria’s diverse culinary traditions could be transformed into a globally competitive food-tourism industry if properly packaged, standardised and commercialised.
The event also demonstrated the potential of cultural diplomacy, with Nigerian and Chinese artistes combining traditional Nigerian drums with Chinese percussion instruments.
The National Troupe of Nigeria’s DG and Artistic Director/CEO, Hajia Kaltume Bulama Gana, said such collaborations could deepen mutual understanding and open opportunities for Nigerian artistes to perform in China.
Former NIHOTOUR DG, Alhaji Munzali Dantata, who studied in Beijing decades ago, also urged stronger cooperation, particularly in education and cultural exchanges.