President Bola Tinubu is expected to return to Abuja from the United Kingdom on Sunday.
Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this in a statement titled, “President Tinubu returns to Abuja from official visit to China after stopover in London” signed on Saturday night.
Onanuga said Tinubu was “expected to return to Abuja on Sunday after concluding an official visit to China and a short stay in the United Kingdom.”
The President, who departed from Abuja, China for Beijing on August 29, began his official visit with a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People on Tuesday, September 2.
Nigeria and China signed five memorandums of understanding during a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Among the MoUs signed were cooperation plans between Nigeria and China aimed at jointly promoting the Belt and Road Initiative, cooperation in the peaceful uses of atomic energy, and strengthening cooperation on human resource development under the Global Development Initiative.
Others included a memorandum of understanding on media exchange and cooperation and a memorandum of understanding between China Media Group and the Nigerian Television Authority. Nigeria also signed a memorandum of understanding with China Port Engineering Company to build the 68km Lagos Green Railway Line, which will run from the Lekki Free Zone to the Marina and connect to the Blue Line.
A memorandum of understanding was also signed between Nigeria’s Chart and Capstone Integrated Company and China’s Sinomak He Company for a proposed $1 billion iron ore to steel project in Kogi State.
The following day, Tinubu again led a delegation to bilateral talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
Later that evening, President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan hosted the Nigerian leader for a welcome dinner and cultural performance on the eve of the China-Africa Cooperation Summit Forum.
Before attending the opening ceremony of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing, President Tinubu visited two Chinese companies, Huawei and China Harbour Engineering Corporation.
At FOCAC, President Tinubu spoke on world peace in his capacity as Chair of the ECOWAS Summit, stressing that multilateralism and cooperation are essential to international peace.
He concluded his visit to China with a meeting with Nigerian representatives of diaspora organisations in China, during which he defended the reforms being implemented by the Nigerian government and said he hoped they would lead Nigeria to become a destination with good roads, reliable electricity and quality schools, just like China.
President Tinubu then departed from Beijing for London, where he discussed climate change financing with King Charles III. China was President Tinubu’s 24th international visit since taking office about 16 months ago.
He has visited Equatorial Guinea, London (twice), the UK (twice), Bissau, Guinea-Bissau (twice), Nairobi, Kenya, Porto Norbo, Republic of Benin, Pretoria, South Africa, Accra, Ghana, New Delhi, India, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, United Arab Emirates, New York, USA, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (twice), Berlin, Germany, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Dakar, Senegal, and Doha, Qatar.
