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2021 FORUM ON CHINA AFRICA COOPERATION (FOCAC): BUILDING THE PHILOSOPHY OF A SHARED FUTURE FOR HUMANITY
2021 FORUM ON CHINA AFRICA COOPERATION (FOCAC): BUILDING THE PHILOSOPHY OF A SHARED FUTURE FOR HUMANITY
By Oboshi Agyeno (PhD)
Institute for peace and Conflict Resolution, Abuja
In a few days to come, particularly on the 29th and 30th November 2021, Senegal will be in the league of other African countries like Ethiopia and South Africa to host the all-important Forum on China Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). The FOCAC is a high level tri-annual indaba of China and African countries with diplomatic relations with the People’s Republic of China (PRC). All the countries in Africa except for Eswatini that has no diplomatic relations with the PRC, gather every three years to participate in discussions on how to design, consolidate and inject new energy on the way forward for a collective development of China and Africa. Since its conception and inception in 2000 and 2003 and the official launch of FOCAC in the year 2006, the Forum is traditionally hosted either in China or any African country interchangeably. This year, Senegal will host the 8th edition of FOCAC with the theme to ‘Deepen China Africa Partnership and Promote Sustainable Development to Build a China Africa Community with a Shared Future in the New Era’.
The FOCAC was primarily a strategy put forward by China to engage with Africa. This relationship has since grown in leaps and bounds. In 2006, China’s financial commitment to Africa was $5 billion and by 2015 and 2018, such commitment rose to $60 billion. In between this development cooperation, China Africa partnership has progressed from resource trade to infrastructure development of monumental proportion, and shifted into a more focused political and strategic cooperation. In recent times, analysts, think tanks and scholars from Africa have continued to promote and influence the government of Africa to show more innovation, commitment and interest in China Africa cooperation due to the benefit that has come to be evident in such relationships.
The FOCAC has enjoyed tremendous good will and partnership in various facets of investment, trade, health, infrastructure, food security, climate change and other areas of human development. This edition will follow the same pattern with previous FOCAC, but will be unique in many aspects. The 2021 FOCAC is the first summit since the Covid-19 pandemic crippled economic activities and businesses on a global scale, destroying livelihoods and threatening multilateralism as we know it. It is also the first FOCAC that just proceeded the 100 years anniversary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and 50 years of Diplomatic Relations between China and Africa, reviewing the joint China Africa response to Covid19, and for the first time expected to reel out a ‘China Africa comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership’ specifically for the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Africa.
There is no doubt that the history of the FOCAC and its derivatives has been a blessing for both China and Africa. This is especially true in the areas of infrastructure development, business opportunities, national and regional security cooperation, cultural diplomacy and people to people exchanges. Indeed, China Africa cooperation has transformed the physical infrastructural environment of both China and Africa, and has proven based on the many hardware projects across Africa that this partnership is unprecedented. It is however pertinent for this year’s FOCAC in Senegal to ensure what Hannah Ryder* refers to as ‘a more organized and collective approach to engagement on the part of African leaders at this year’s FOCAC’. There is a need for African and Chinese leadership, think tanks and scholars to inject some novelty in building a philosophical, cultural and ideological component of China Africa cooperation. In order to improve the quality and efficiency of the FOCAC in general, the 8th edition of the Forum must endeavour to create a hybrid dimension to China Africa cooperation that can activate an innovative path to sustainable development based on a software approach to cooperation and development.
Senegal is one of the ideological, theoretical and cultural hubs of Africa. To project a philosophical angle to the aspirations for building livelihoods and shared humanity that China Africa relations have come to represent, shall be remarkable in this FOCAC. China Africa cooperation has spanned politics, economy, health, technology, etc. The 2021 FOCAC provides the prospect to pay closer attention on building the mind-set, attitude, philosophy and ideological direction for China and Africa towards a better future of communities, opportunities and humanity. The FOCAC should be a platform to build the significance of character traits like diligence, hard work, respect for culture and tradition, patriotism, knowledge, communal sense of purpose, prudence, the synergy between man and nature and cooperation as enablers for development. If embedded in African culture and traditions are qualities that can point the people towards sustainable development using their traditional alternatives, then FOCAC should concentrate on building those qualities. There are different paths to development than a single prescription and the Chinese experience has proven that.
As the saying goes, Africa is the next frontier of development and this aspiration is very likely to be achieved through China Africa cooperation. It is expected that the 2021 FOCAC will address Africa’s place within the BRI, which is potentially the most audacious economic blueprint of global connectivity in trade, investment and pragmatic access to financing for development. One of the ways Africa could benefit from this initiative is to imbibe the values and inculcate the principles of putting the people at the centre of development, promoting togetherness and projecting our unique socialist nature embedded in African and Asian oriental civilization. China and Africa have so much in common and the sooner a deliberate effort is applied to zoom our shared values into the international frontline, the better for humanity. This can be done by injecting our unique value in the domestic and foreign policy of both China and Africa.
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This year’s FOCAC provides the platform for Africa and China to reiterate their belief in a multilateral system which President Xi Jinping of China says ‘falls upon us to follow the trend of history, and choose cooperation over confrontation, openness over seclusion, and mutual benefit over zero sum games*. While contemporary issues like the green economy and climate change, technology transfer, peace and security and post Covid-19 recovery will dominate discussions at this year’s FOCAC, there is also the need to present the philosophical energy that can consolidate on the successes recorded in China Africa cooperation over the years. This could involve understanding and deploying those software features that have enabled China’s peaceful rise, inclusive growth and development in politics, economy and technology. Understanding the principles of Chinese development could be used to unlock the ingenuity of Africans from within, prioritize citizen’s interest in collective development and position Africa’s quest to inclusive and sustainable development as a process rather than a narrative or a big bang theory.
Philosophical vocabulary and direction is important to China Africa cooperation because it will give substance to the framework, content and nature of the overall partnership between both climes. It is therefore instructive that on the side-lines of this year’s FOCAC summit and subsequent meetings in the future, there should be podiums that promote cultural education of Africa and Asian oriental civilization in leadership, governance, relationships, values and development. The number of Chinese cultural institutes in Africa is growing and Africa should take advantage of such presence to collaborate in the areas of language and other exchanges that could promote intellectual understanding of China Africa cooperation, upgrade China Africa oriental civilization, engender new models and paths to development, and ensure a holistic development that is en-sync with the culture, tradition, emotion, beliefs and orientation of the people.
Long live China Africa cooperation.
2021 FORUM ON CHINA AFRICA COOPERATION (FOCAC): BUILDING THE PHILOSOPHY OF A SHARED FUTURE FOR HUMANITY
NIN enrolment hits 107 million
…Nigerians to Pay for Proposed Multipurpose ID card
By: Michael Mike
The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) on Friday disclosed that the National Identity Number (NIN) has reached 107.338,044, showing a growth of 3.2 million from the 104 million reported as at the end of last year.
The Commission also announced ongoing plans to introduce a general multipurpose NIN card for which Nigerians will be required to pay.
Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja, the Director General of the Commission, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, equally disclosed that in addition to the surge in enrollment, the Commission is not resting on its oars as it would stop at nothing to ensure every Nigerian was registered.
She revealed that the commission is revamping its systems, implementing cutting-edge technologies to upgrade its outdated equipments, and cracking down on fraudsters and extortionists.
She said with the continuous expansion of enrollment centres across the country, the Commission would be in a position to record total registration of Nigerians.
Coker-Odusote noted that in the next six to eight months, the system which capacity presently stands at 100 million would be upgraded to 250 million.
She further mentioned that the Commission intends to review the prices for its services to improve service delivery to Nigerians, noting that the Commission would prosecute any staff members caught conniving with illegal actors.
She said: “All we are trying to do is to ensure that we provide a robust service for Nigerian citizens and legal residents. And to ensure that life is easy and seamless. One should not spend three to four hours in the NIMC office because of NIN services. It is something I will not allow to continue to happen. We will provide all necessary means to address the issue.
“We are clamping down extortioners parading themselves as NIMC staff. A lot of people have lost their money to extortioners.
“Any staff of NIMC that tries to work with illegal perpetrators will face disciplinary committee and be tried according to the Cybercrime Act 2015 and the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023. Same with any illegal perpetrators.
“We will make sure we create proper communication to gauge against extortioners.
“We are going to review our rate. It is not going to be much, but it will be reviewed. We have not reviewed our rate for a long time. It is not going to be exorbitant”.
She explained that Nigerians would have to pay a certain amount of money to access the new general multipurpose national identity card through financial institutions in the country, saying the card would allow them access to different digital services and enhance financial inclusion.
“Just like how you pay to access your ATM cards in the banks, Nigerians will pay through the banks to access their cards within 48 hours. We are partnering with Afrigo to ensure seamless delivery of cards to citizens after payment to get the digital multipurpose card,” She said.
She said applicants for the card will have to request with their NIN through a self-service online portal or the banks, insisting that NIN registration remains free for citizens of the country.
She further explained that NIMC is collaborating with the Students Loan Board, NYSC, and other government institutions responsible for palliatives distribution will soon start using NIMC identity database for services of government to ensure accountability and eliminate ghost beneficiaries.
She said states like Jigawa, Lagos, Kaduna, and Delta among others are currently acting as Front End Partners with NIMC for registration of their citizens in the national identity database and enjoined the media to support efforts of the Commission by raising awareness among the citizenry.
NIN enrolment hits 107 million
NHRC Promotes Legislation Banning Cultism in Schools
By: Michael Mike
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has called for a strict legislation to ban cultism in the country’s institutions of learning.
The Commission apparently worried by spate of increased cultism in the nation’s tertiary institutions, said the legislation should be done is such a way that it will not affect the rights of student population in forming societies and organisations that promote human rights as well as intellectual curiosity and diversity.
The Commission’s position was expressed in Friday in Abuja by Mr. Hillary Ogbona,
the Senior Special Assistant to the Executive Secretary of the Commission, Chief Tony Ojukwu, while presenting the monthly human rights dashboard on human rights for the month of April.
He said the issue in focus in the month of April was cultism, saying that, over 20 cultism related deaths were recorded in three states of the Federation.
He noted that cultism, especially in higher institutions of learning has remained a long-standing menace in the country, pointing out that the secret society movements rooted in violence, intimidation, criminal behavior and other bizarre and illegal activities, not only pose grave threat to peace and security, but also pose a significant challenge to the enjoyment of fundamental human rights by affected communities.
He promised that the NHRC remains committed to addressing the issue with a firm commitment to protecting and promoting human rights.
He explained that: “The right to life and security which should be protected by the state faces significant threats in a society plagued by cultism. Cult-related violence leads to loss of innocent lives, shattered families and devastated communities as cultists operate with impunity.”
The dashboard showed that a total of 2011 killings was recorded in the month April, out of which, 82 are attributed to bandits alone, while 99 cases of kidnapping were recorded with North -West region leading with 74 in April and added that, 13 security and law enforcement agents were also killed in the month of April.
Ogbona called on government at all levels to rise up to their responsibility in protecting the lives and properties of the citizens of the country, saying that, “The cycle of violence perpetuated by cultism erodes trust and undermines the right to a secure and peaceful society.
“We also call on all security agencies to step up protection of human life in line with the provision of Section 4(2)(b) of the Constitution”, he said and that, relevant authorities should ensure that schools and streets are safe for the people.
Speaking earlier, the NHRC boss expressed the Commission’s commitment to making accessible, information on human rights and will continue to cooperate with government at all levels, civil society, media, international development partners towards the promotion, protection and enforcement of human rights in Nigeria.
He said the dashboard will assist the government in keeping track of its obligations to national, regional and international human rights instruments and mechanisms.
He said: “We have been rendering this report to the National Assembly and the government of Nigeria on an annual basis and this document has been a reference no material accessible to all interested persons, authorities to gain insight on the status of human rights in Nigeria “.
NHRC Promotes Legislation Banning Cultism in Schools
Security: Parents in Damaturu Advised to Supervise their Wards
By Michael Mike
Parents and guardians in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital have been advised to improve supervision on the movements of their Children.
Some Elders in Damaturu gave the advice while speaking to journalists on Monday.
They said the increasing breach of security in Damaturu has been a major source of concern to many law abiding citizens especially in the recent past days.
They said they could not but raise their voices for quick arrest of the ugly situation.
Some of the elders who spoke to journalists, charged the parents to redouble efforts towards moulding the character of their Children.
According to them, the level at which criminal activities increase, need rapid response from concerned authorities, parents and all other Stakeholders.
It could be recalled that within the last few weeks, there were series of reports on cases of killings in Damaturu and environs.
Security: Parents in Damaturu Advised to Supervise their Wards
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