President Buhari gives new order, signs MoU with China

President Buhari gives new order, signs MoU with China

- President Muhammadu Buhari further strengthens ties between Nigeria and China in fresh order

- China offers $15million to help grow Nigeria's agricultural sector

- Signs MoU with Nigeria's president

President Buhari gives new order, signs MoU with China
President Buhari and President Xi Jinpeng of China.

Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari has given out new orders from far away Beijing, China, Legit.ng has gathered.

According to a statement issued by Shehu Garba, the president's senior special assistant on media and publicity, President Buhari directed that technical committees be immediately established to finalize discussions on new joint Nigeria/China rail, power, manufacturing, agricultural and solid mineral projects.

READ ALSO: President Buhari-led administration borrows N600bn monthly

Buhari made this known after talks between his delegation and high-ranking Chinese government officials led by President Xi Jinping, and has ordered that the technical committees are to conclude their assignments before the end of next month.

President Buhari gives new order, signs MoU with China
President Xi Jinpeng in company of President Buhari exchange compliments with Nigerian delegation which includes L-R: Minister of Power, Works & Housing Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), Minister of Transport ,Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Science and Tecnology ,Ogbonnaya Onu, Governor of Benue State ,Dr. Samuel Ortom, Governor of Yobe State ,Alhaji Ibrahim Geidam, Governor of Oyo State Abiola Ajimobi, Governor of Jigawa Badaru Abubakar and Governor of Ogun State, Ibikunle Amosun.

President Jinping agreed that Nigeria's chosen path of development through economic diversification was the best way to go and to help Nigeria to achieve this, China promised to fully support the country through infrastructural development and capacity building.

China also expressed an interest in setting up major projects in Nigeria such as refineries, power plants, mining companies, textile manufacturing and food processing industries as soon as the enabling environment is provided by the Federal Government.

READ ALSO: Nigerians approve President Buhari's trips abroad

In response to President Buhari's desire to make Nigeria self-sufficient in food production, President Jinping offered $15 million agricultural assistance to Nigeria for the establishment of 50 agricultural demonstration farms across the country.

President Buhari gives new order, signs MoU with China
President Buhari and President Xi Jinpeng witnessing the Signing of Framework Agreement between the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade & Investment of Nigeria represented by Hon. Minister of Industry, Trade & Investment ,Mr Okechukwu Enelamah and The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) of China represented by Chairman of NDRC ,Mr Xu Shaoshi.

China and Nigeria also agreed to strengthen military and civil service exchanges as part of a larger capacity-building engagement.

In line with this, China offered to raise its scholarship awards to Nigerian students from about 100 to 700 annually and as well, give 1,000 other Nigerians vocational and technical training annually.

President Jinping applauded the war against corruption being waged by President Buhari, assuring him that Nigeria will always have a special place in the affairs of the Peoples Republic of China.

After the talks, President Buhari and President Jinping witnessed the signing of several agreements and memorandums of understanding by Nigeria and China.

The agreements include a "Framework Agreement Between the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the National Development and Reform Commission of the Peoples Republic of China."

Others were a "Memorandum of Understanding on Aviation Cooperation between the Ministry of Transportation (Aviation) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Ministry of Commerce of the Peoples Republic of China" and a "Memorandum of Understanding Between the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Government of the Peoples Republic of China on Scientific and Technological Cooperation."

A "Mandate Letter Between the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and the Central Bank of Nigeria on Renminbi (RMB) Transactions" was also signed.

The president is expected back to the country over the weekend, and will be expected to give his final say on the 2016 budget which has raised so much dust in the past few weeks.

Source: Legit.ng

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