On Thursday, June 26, Nigeria played host to the Second Post-FOCAC Abuja Forum, with the theme, “Jointly Advancing China-Africa Modernization and Achieving the Ten Partnership Initiative in an All-Weather China-Africa Community with a Shared Future.” First announced by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Forum on China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) conference in Beijing in September 2024, the Ten Partnership Actions have since formed the framework for advancing the Belt and Road Initiative on the continent. It is notable that in the same period, Nigeria became an official partner country of the BRICS, announced in January 2025.
In his opening remarks, Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria Yu Dunhai was particularly focused on the developing China-Nigeria relationship at large. Quoted at length in leading Nigerian press, Yu said that, “China stands ready to negotiate an Economic Partnership Agreement for Common Development with Nigeria as soon as possible, in order to maximize the benefits from China’s zero-tariff policy, share development opportunities, and achieve mutual revitalization goals.” China has already (in 2019) [established](https://thearbitrationbrief.com/2019/02/11/chinese-africa-joint-arbitration-center-a-solution-to-trade-disputes-between-africa-and-china/) a Chinese-Africa Joint Arbitration Center in Johannesburg, South Africa, as an arbitration platform for the growing trade on the continent.
Yu then referenced the several active development projects—the opening of a lithium processing plant, the advancing of the Ajaokuta Steel Plant, a major road and a water project—in the country, noting that “these developments demonstrate that China-Africa cooperation rests upon a solid foundation, addresses broad shared needs, and possesses immense potential.”
