President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Mr. Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe as the Director-General and Global Liaison for the Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership, a key initiative resulting from agreements reached during Tinubu’s visit to China in early September.
Tegbe, a former Oyo State People’s Democratic Party (PDP) senatorial candidate in the 2023 general election, will report directly to the President. He is a Fellow of both the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA) and the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria.
As part of his new role, Tegbe will immediately develop and present a strategic action plan aimed at maximizing Nigeria’s benefits from the bilateral agreements forged in Beijing. He will oversee day-to-day operations, facilitate continuous engagement with Chinese counterparts, and ensure that all agreed objectives are aligned with Nigeria’s broader development goals.
The strategic action plan will detail specific deliverables, timelines, and key performance indicators across areas of cooperation. This will encompass priority projects, anticipated investments, and projected socioeconomic impacts.
At the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged 360 billion yuan (approximately $51 billion) in new financing for African nations over the next three years. He also committed to supporting 30 major infrastructure projects to enhance connectivity across the continent and create one million jobs.
During his official visit to China, prior to the FOCAC summit, President Tinubu secured additional commitments from President Xi to support Nigeria’s economic diversification efforts, infrastructure development, technology transfer, and job creation.
Key areas of collaboration between Nigeria and China include expanding Nigeria’s rail network, improving power distribution, and establishing new industrial parks. The two nations also agreed to form hospital alliances and collaborate on medical research, with plans to deploy Chinese healthcare professionals to strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare system.
This appointment follows Tinubu’s earlier selection of another PDP figure, Nyesom Wike, as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
