The Federal Government has signed a 30-million-dollar grant agreement with China to support small-scale development projects across Nigeria. Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Abubakar Bagudu, disclosed this at the signing ceremony in Abuja on Thursday.
Bagudu thanked the Chinese government for its continued support, describing the agreement as evidence of strong bilateral relations and shared development objectives. He said the grant formed part of broader engagements under the Nigeria-China comprehensive strategic partnership.
The Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Yu Dunhai, announced that China had approved a 200-million-yuan grant, equivalent to 30 million dollars, for Nigeria’s economic and social development. Dunhai said the funds would support mutually agreed projects designed to deliver direct benefits to Nigerians. He described the projects as “small but beautiful”, explaining that they would require limited investment, deliver quick results and improve citizens’ livelihoods.
The ambassador expressed confidence that the Nigerian government would use the funds effectively to achieve the intended development outcomes. Bagudu also acknowledged an earlier one-million-dollar Chinese grant intended to strengthen Nigeria’s capacity in technology and knowledge development. He said the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning and the Nigeria-China strategic partnership office were identifying development projects proposed by states.
The minister stressed that the government must ensure the commitments translated into tangible benefits for Nigerians. Bagudu highlighted efforts to tackle poverty at the grassroots, saying 8,809 interventions had been recorded under the lowest level of the economic support programme. He added that Nigeria could learn from China’s poverty eradication strategy to accelerate development nationwide.
The minister also disclosed that Nigerian officials were participating in training programmes in China to strengthen their knowledge and capacity for development planning. Dunhai said the agreement represented an important step toward implementing commitments made by both countries’ leaders and outcomes of the fourth China-Nigeria Cooperation Forum in Beijing. He noted that Nigeria and China were marking 55 years of diplomatic relations, characterised by mutual respect, cooperation and support across various sectors.
According to him, bilateral relations were elevated to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2024 following engagements between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Nigeria’s president. The ambassador said the partnership had since entered a new phase of high-level and high-quality development.
Dunhai also highlighted China’s zero-tariff policy for Nigeria, which took effect on May 1, describing it as an opportunity to expand Nigerian exports and attract investment. He said bilateral trade reached 18 billion dollars in the first half of 2026, while Nigeria’s exports to China increased by 80 per cent.
The ambassador attributed the export growth to the zero-tariff policy, saying it would improve Nigeria’s access to the Chinese market and support industrial development. He urged both countries to negotiate an economic development partnership agreement before the preferential policy expires on May 1, 2028.
Dunhai called on relevant Nigerian ministries to coordinate efforts towards concluding the agreement and maximising the policy’s benefits. He reaffirmed China’s commitment to implementing agreements reached by both countries’ leaders and strengthening bilateral relations. Both countries, he said, would continue pursuing shared development goals and building a community with a shared future.
