NCBC Pushes Stronger Nigeria-China Business Partnership

The Nigeria-China Business Council (NCBC) has called on the Nigerian business community to take full advantage of the opportunities provided by the Chinese Government to promote national economic growth and development.

Chairman of the Council, Chief Jacob Wood, made the appeal in Abuja during a Stakeholders Business Forum and Luncheon organised by the NCBC with the theme, “From Trade to Transformation: Advancing Nigeria-China Business Strategic Economic Partnership for Sustainable Development.”
Chief Wood expressed satisfaction with the existing business relationship between Nigeria and China, assuring that the Council would continue to sensitise stakeholders on the various business and investment opportunities available in both countries to enhance job creation, poverty reduction and economic development.
In his welcome address, the National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the NCBC, Dr. Sam Agbi, disclosed that the Council had attracted investments worth over 10 million dollars to Nigeria through Chinese electrical and electronics companies.
According to him, the investments have created thousands of jobs for Nigerian youths while strengthening the country’s value chains.
Dr. Agbi said the forum’s theme reflects the need for Nigeria and China to move beyond traditional trade in goods to productive investment, industrialisation, technology transfer, value addition, skills development, innovation and sustainable economic growth.
He explained that the objective is to transform the long-standing friendship between both countries into a strategic partnership capable of delivering inclusive prosperity and shared development.
Dr. Agbi noted that the Nigeria-China Business Council was established to serve as a bridge between the public and private sectors of both countries by facilitating bilateral trade and investment, promoting strategic partnerships, advocating enabling policies, providing business support services and creating opportunities that strengthen economic cooperation.
He stated that over the years, the Council has built a reputation as a trusted organisation for businesses seeking engagement with China by facilitating investment opportunities, organising trade missions, business matchmaking programmes, investment forums and capacity-building initiatives for entrepreneurs and corporate organisations.
He further explained that the Council has coordinated the participation of Nigerian businesses and institutions in several programmes in Nigeria and China, including specialised training, workshops, investment fairs, the Canton Fair and the Panda Film and Television Festival in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. According to him, these engagements have exposed Nigerian businesses to global best practices while opening new opportunities for collaboration, innovation and investment.
Dr. Agbi said one of the key objectives of the forum is to provide a sustainable platform for dialogue and collaboration between Nigerian and Chinese business communities. He expressed the hope that the forum would become a meeting point for investors, manufacturers, exporters, financial institutions, policymakers and development partners, particularly in Abuja and the Northern states.
He assured stakeholders that the Council remains a credible and dependable organisation through which Nigerian businesses can access reliable information, strategic partnerships and investment opportunities in China while also supporting Chinese companies seeking to establish and expand operations in Nigeria.
According to him, one of the expected outcomes of the forum is the adoption of a comprehensive communiqué containing key resolutions, recommendations and actionable proposals to strengthen Nigeria-China economic cooperation. He urged participants to contribute practical ideas that would translate the forum’s aspirations into sustainable investments, industrial growth and inclusive prosperity.
Dr. Agbi also announced that as part of the Council’s ongoing rebranding and institutional repositioning, stakeholders would be formally presented with the official NCBC lapel pin by the Chairman, Chief Jacob Wood, as a symbol of their commitment to deepening Nigeria-China economic cooperation.
In a goodwill message, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Ms. Aisha Rimi, urged Chinese investors to invest in manufacturing, solid minerals, agriculture, engineering and other critical sectors capable of driving Nigeria’s economic development.
Represented by the Head of the Investment Promotion Department of the Commission, Mr. Emmanuel Longza, Ms. Rimi said the NIPC had put in place various incentives and investment-friendly policies to encourage businesses to invest in Nigeria.
Also speaking, representatives of the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), Mrs. Judith Kurama, and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Mrs. Mary Kolawole, commended the NCBC for promoting stronger business relations between Nigeria and China.
They pledged the support of their respective agencies in promoting non-oil exports, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), entrepreneurship and national economic development.
Other speakers at the forum, including former Controller of Immigration, Mr. Samuel Chinda, and retired General Salisu Uba, urged Nigerians to take advantage of the numerous business and investment opportunities provided through Nigeria’s partnership with China to accelerate the country’s economic growth.