ABUJA, May 18 (MENA) - Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria Yu Dunhai revealed that plans are underway to establish electric vehicle factories and other manufacturing ventures in Nigeria.

Yu made the remarks during his meeting with Nigerian Minister of Solid Minerals Dele Alake, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported on Sunday.

The Chinese ambassador stressed the need for greater collaboration between China and Nigeria to unlock the potential of Nigeria’s solid minerals sector by establishing electric vehicle factories, Alake’s Special Assistant on Media Segun Tomori said.

The ambassador expressed support for Nigeria’s local value-addition policy, pointing out that one of President Xi Jinping’s key priorities is hinged on promoting Africa’s industrialization, the media assistant added.

Yu stated that the leaders of Nigeria and China agreed to elevate bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership aimed at creating new opportunities for cooperation.

He recalled that Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and his Chinese counterpart recently held high-level talks during Tinubu’s state visit to China in pursuit of that goal.

“Chinese companies were already deeply involved in Nigeria’s mining sector, from exploration to processing,” the ambassador said.

“We aim to deepen this collaboration, especially in line with President Tinubu’s eight priority areas, notably economic diversification through solid minerals,” he noted.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian minister stated that his country has a large market and the potential to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels through electric vehicle production.

He acknowledged the long-standing relations between Nigeria and China, stating that most Chinese firms operated within legal and regulatory frameworks.

The minister reiterated that Nigeria is open to business for serious investors, affirming that investments in the nation’s mining industry remained focused on local value addition. (MENA)

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