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China-Africa Infrastructure Cooperation:Building the Groundwork for a Better Future
China-Africa Infrastructure Cooperation:
Building the Groundwork for a Better Future
By: Yi Xin
When speaking of China-Africa cooperation, the word “kaleidoscopic” comes to mind. Recent years have seen fruitful outcomes of the bilateral cooperation in multiple fields. Among them, infrastructure is hardly one to miss.
From the plateau in the east to the coast in the west, from the landlocked countries in the sub-Saharan region to the small island states in the Western Indian Ocean, roads, railways, bridges, ports, schools, hospitals and power stations built with Chinese assistance are paving the groundwork for a better future for a land of promise and potential.
Transport projects drive a more connected future.
“To get rich, build roads first.” This is not just a popular Chinese proverb, but an important takeaway from China’s own development. Drawing on this experience, China has spent decades working with Africa to build the transport backbone necessary for driving economic growth.
It would be remiss not to mention the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway (AADR), a transport artery connecting Ethiopia and Djibouti and the first electrified transnational railway in East Africa. It is a flagship Belt and Road cooperation project, and one of the two main lines of transport in the Outlook on Peace and Development in the Horn of Africa which China put forward in 2022 to support regional countries in addressing security, development and governance challenges.
The railway greatly improved the access of countries along the route to the outside world. It has cut transport time for freight goods from more than three days to less than 20 hours, and reduced the cost by at least one-third. To date, the railway has transported 680,000 passengers and 9.5 million tons of cargo, with an average annual growth rate of 39 percent in revenue. As countries in the region grapple with soaring oil prices, the electrified railway has played an increasingly important role in delivering essential materials such as edible oil and fertilizers to meet the needs of socioeconomic development.
In May this year, the Chinese contractors handed over the railway’s management and operation to the African side after six years of smooth operation. Ethiopian Minister of Finance Ahmed Shide said, “The Addis Ababa-Djibouti railway line is an example of the ever-flourishing Sino-African relations. The Sino-African partnership has passed the test of time, demonstrated its resilience, and marks a brighter and strong future.”
In recent years, more and more infrastructure projects in Africa undertaken by China have yielded tangible benefits, often exceeding the traditional transport domain. Since the establishment of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in 2000, according to the “China and Africa in the New Era: A Partnership of Equals” white paper, Chinese companies have helped African countries build or upgrade more than 10,000 km of railways, nearly 100,000 km of highways, nearly 1,000 bridges, nearly 100 ports, 66,000 km of power transmission and distribution, an installed power-generating capacity of 120 million kW, a communications backbone network of 150,000 km, and a network service covering nearly 700 million user terminals.
Blue economy cooperation cultivates talent.
The ocean connects countries; it also bears infinite hope. In recent years, under the Vision for Maritime Cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative and The Belt and Road Blue Cooperation Initiative, China has taken concrete steps to forge a blue partnership with Africa.
In China-Africa Cooperation Vision 2035 released at the eighth FOCAC Ministerial Conference in 2021, cooperation on the blue economy is listed as a “new growth area” that can “add value to and sustainably utilize marine resources.” The infrastructure projects in this field have created many local jobs and helped train much-needed engineers, technicians and other skilled professionals for Africa.
The Lamu Port Project in Kenya is an exemplar. It has an important place in Kenya Vision 2030, the country’s long-term development blueprint. Built by a Chinese company, the port is part of Kenya’s bid to become a major trading hub in East Africa.
Over three-quarters of the project’s hirees were African. The Chinese companies send experienced and skilled Chinese workers to provide on-the-job training for local recruits. This was met with much enthusiasm among young Africans. More than 2,500 job opportunities with such tailored training produced a large number of skilled workers. After the project was completed, they were able to find new jobs and lead better lives with the skills they mastered.
Green economy cooperation supercharges energy transition.
China has been an important partner in Africa’s green transition. To date, China has undertaken more than 100 clean energy projects under the FOCAC framework, supporting African countries in making better use of clean energy such as solar, hydro, wind and geothermal power.
The De Aar Wind Farm has changed the energy landscape of South Africa. As the first wind power project financed, constructed and operated by a Chinese company in Africa, it supplies 760 million kilowatt-hours of clean electricity annually, meeting the electricity needs of 300,000 households. This has contributed to closing the gap caused by unstable clean energy and addressing the electricity shortage in South Africa.
China’s continuous efforts to help develop infrastructure in Africa over the decades find roots in Confucian philosophy. To quote The Analects, “ A man of virtue, while establishing himself and pursuing success, also works to establish others and enable them to succeed as well.” In other words, in pursuing its own development, China sincerely hopes to see African countries, which are also important members of the Global South, become prosperous and strong.
(Yi Xin is a Beijing-based international affairs commentator.
China-Africa Infrastructure Cooperation:
Building the Groundwork for a Better Future
News
Troops, NDLEA Raid Drug Hideout in Katsina, Arrest Suspected Supplier to Terrorists
Troops, NDLEA Raid Drug Hideout in Katsina, Arrest Suspected Supplier to Terrorists
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of the Forward Operating Base (FOB) Malumfashi at Kafur, in collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, have raided a suspected drug peddlers’ hideout in Kafur Local Government Area of Katsina State.
Security sources said the operation was conducted at about 12:30 p.m. on May 12, 2026, at Huguma village following intelligence on illicit drug activities within the area.
During the raid, troops apprehended one suspect identified as a major supplier of illicit drugs and other substances to terrorists and criminal elements operating within Kafur Local Government Area and surrounding communities.
Items recovered during the operation included 146 grams of suspected cannabis and 16.5 grams of a substance identified as Exol-5.
The suspect and the recovered drugs have since been handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency for further investigation and necessary legal action.
Troops, NDLEA Raid Drug Hideout in Katsina, Arrest Suspected Supplier to Terrorists
News
Troops Recover 13 Sheep in Mangu, as Attacked Herdsman go Missing
Troops Recover 13 Sheep in Mangu, as Attacked Herdsman go Missing
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of Sector 8, Operation Safe Haven (OPEP), have recovered 13 sheep in Sabon Gari village in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State following a suspected attack on a herder who was either killed or just vanished.
Sources said that the troops responded to the incident at about 6:30 p.m. on May 12, 2026, after receiving information that strayed livestock were discovered in the community without the owner.
On arrival at the scene, the troops reportedly found 13 sheep grazing without any herder in sight. The animals were subsequently taken into custody by the troops for further action and documentation.

Security sources said the absence of the herder raised concerns about his possible safety and whereabouts. Sources maintained that the disappearance of the harder raised suspicions that he may have been eliminated by assailants in the community.
Preliminary assessment of the situation has prompted security considerations within the area, as incidents involving farmer–herder misunderstandings and livestock encroachment have continued to be recorded in parts of Plateau State.
Authorities are expected to carry out further inquiries to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and to determine the appropriate disposition of the recovered livestock.
Troops Recover 13 Sheep in Mangu, as Attacked Herdsman go Missing
News
“It Is Obvious the Video Is Fake” Gov. Mutfwang Dismisses Viral Plateau Burial Attack Video as Fake, Warns Against Rumour-Mongering
“It Is Obvious the Video Is Fake” Gov. Mutfwang Dismisses Viral Plateau Burial Attack Video as Fake, Warns Against Rumour-Mongering
By Zagazola Makama
Governor Caleb Mutfwang has dismissed the viral video circulated by Plateau- based activist Masara Kim Usman alleging a “jihadist attack” during a burial ceremony in Barkin Ladi, describing the footage as fake and deliberately designed to cause panic.
The governor made the remarks during a recent Security Council meeting while addressing the growing security issues and the spread of unverified security reports and sensational narratives on social media concerning the security situation in Plateau State.
“It is obvious that the video is fake,” Mutfwang said while reacting to the controversial footage that had been widely circulated online and featured in international interviews.
The video had claimed that armed Fulani attackers stormed a burial ground during funeral rites, allegedly opening fire on mourners from surrounding hills with sophisticated weapons.
However, The Nigerian Police Force who provided security at the scene of the burial and other relevant security agencies in the state found no confirmed casualty, injury or medical record linked to the alleged attack.
The governor’s comments came barely two days after he cautioned social media activists, media, bloggers and online champions against spreading rumours and unverified reports capable of inflaming tensions and damaging the image of the state.
“We are not saying that every incident should be swept under the carpet. We keep accurate data of all accounts of incidents,” the governor said.
“We are not saying that there is no attacks but many of you that are in the hurry to put it on social media, you are destroying the state.”
He warned that the reckless dissemination of rumours and unverified information could endanger lives and worsen the fragile security atmosphere in affected communities.
“And sometimes you put on social media what you heard as a rumour. You dont know the lives you put in danger sometimes with what you put on social media. We need to be careful,” he added.
Mutfwang further alleged that there were deliberate efforts by certain actors to portray Plateau negatively before the international community through exaggerated and misleading narratives.
“There is a deliberate plan to demarket Plateau State and to tell the world that Plateau state is not anywhere that anyone should visit,” the governor said.
“But let me reassure Nigerians and the world that Plateau State remain the home of peace and tourism nobody will take that from us.”said the Governor.
According to the activist’s dramatic narration, heavily armed “Fulani jihadists” surrounded a burial ground, opened fire from nearby hills with sophisticated rifles and sniper weapons, and forced terrified mourners to flee while abandoning corpses in shallow graves.
The scene was presented to international audiences as evidence of an ongoing Islamic terrorist extermination campaign against Christians in Plateau State and Nigeria.
Yet after all the cinematic shouting, breathless commentary and social media outrage, one stubborn problem refused to disappear:
Nobody died, nobody was injured, no hospital treated victims, no corpse emerged from the supposed attack, no security report confirmed casualties, no family identified anybody allegedly shot during the incident. Which raises a very uncomfortable question for the propagandists:
What exactly were the “snipers” shooting at?
Because for an alleged coordinated jihadist ambush involving sophisticated weapons against a crowded funeral gathering, the complete absence of casualties is not merely suspicious, it is devastating to the credibility of the entire narrative.
Even more remarkable was the extraordinary professionalism displayed by the supposed victim while “escaping.” Apparently, modern sniper attacks now allow enough time for stable camera angles, American accents and commentary while maintaining uninterrupted narration and carefully managed video framing.
At different points, the narrator claimed he ran two kilometres. Later, it became five kilometres. He was we was in the middle of God knows where when houses were clearly seeing behind him.
Yet somehow throughout the entire footage, there was no exhaustion, no panic, no disorientation, no visible trauma and not even the shaky breathing expected from somebody allegedly escaping death under sustained gunfire. He even took his time to mount his microphone to avoid background noises.
One almost expected background music and movie credits to appear. But perhaps the most embarrassing part of the production was hidden in plain sight inside the video itself.
While viewers were being told that heavily armed jihadists were actively attacking mourners, some women in the background were calmly walking around without panic. Others appeared unconcerned while some youths suddenly being prompted to run during portions of the recording.
Ironically, the only visible armed individuals in sections of the footage were local armed Berom youths. That small detail completely shattered the carefully packaged “helpless civilians under jihadist siege” narrative being exported to foreign audiences.
Governor Mutfwang’s intervention therefore matters because it represents something increasingly rare in today’s toxic information environment: An admission that propaganda itself has become part of Plateau’s security problem.
The Plateau crisis is already painful enough without staged documentaries pretending to be genocide evidence.
If peace is ever to return fully to Plateau, it will require honesty from all sides not scripted panic, selective outrage and propaganda disguised as activism.
Because eventually, reality catches up. And when even the governor says, “It is obvious that the video is fake,” the performance begins to collapse under its own weight.
“It Is Obvious the Video Is Fake” Gov. Mutfwang Dismisses Viral Plateau Burial Attack Video as Fake, Warns Against Rumour-Mongering
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