World
China promises Africa on nine developmental strategies
China promises Africa on nine developmental strategies
By: Michael Mike, Abuja
China has promised to work with African states to implement nine development strategies
Presenting a key note address: “Uphold the Tradition of Always Standing Together And Jointly Build a China-Africa Community With a Shared Future in the New Era” on Monday in Dakar. Senegal at the opening ceremony of the eighth ministerial conference of the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping said: “In the run-up to this Conference, our two sides have jointly prepared the China-Africa Cooperation Vision 2035. Under the first three-year plan of the Vision, China will work closely with African countries to implement the following nine programmes.”
He highlighted the nine programmes to include; the medical and health programme by helping the AU achieve its goal of vaccinating 60 percent of the African population by 2022, promising that China will provide another one billion doses of vaccines to Africa, including 600 million doses as donation and 400 million doses to be provided through such means as joint production by Chinese companies and relevant African countries. In addition, China will undertake 10 medical and health projects for African countries, and send 1,500 medical personnel and public health experts to Africa.
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The Chinese President also promised to assist Africa with poverty reduction and agricultural development programme, this would be done with the undertaking of 10 poverty reduction and agricultural projects for Africa, and by sending 500 agricultural experts to Africa; and the country will also set up a number of China-Africa joint centers for modern agrotechnology exchange, demonstration and training in China, encourage Chinese institutions and companies to build in Africa demonstration villages for China-Africa cooperation on agricultural development and poverty reduction, and support the Alliance of Chinese Companies in Africa for Corporate Social Responsibilities in launching the initiative of “100 Companies in 1,000 Villages”.
Jinping also promised to encourage the trade promotion programme with the opening of “green lanes” for African agricultural exports to China, speed up the inspection and quarantine procedures, and further increase the scope of products enjoying zero-tariff treatment for the least developed countries (LDCs) having diplomatic relations with China, in a bid to reach 300 billion US dollars in total imports from Africa in the next three years, with China providing 10 billion US dollars of trade finance to support African export, and build in China a pioneering zone for in-depth China-Africa trade and economic cooperation and a China-Africa industrial park for Belt and Road cooperation, and undertake 10 connectivity projects for Africa, form an expert group on economic cooperation with the secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and give continued support to the development of the AfCFTA.
In the area of investment promotion programme, Jinping said China will encourage its businesses to invest no less than 10 billion US dollars in Africa in the next three years, and will establish a platform for China-Africa private investment promotion. He said: “China will undertake 10 industrialization and employment promotion projects for Africa, provide credit facilities of 10 billion US dollars to African financial institutions, support the development of African SMEs on a priority basis, and establish a China-Africa cross-border RMB center. China will exempt African LDCs from debt incurred in the form of interest-free Chinese government loans due by the end of 2021. China is ready to channel to African countries 10 billion US dollars from its share of the IMF’s new allocation of Special Drawing Rights.”
The Chinese President said in the area of digital innovation programme, China will undertake 10 digital economy projects for Africa, set up centers for China-Africa cooperation on satellite remote-sensing application, and support the development of China-Africa joint laboratories, partner institutes, and scientific and technological innovation cooperation bases. China will work with African countries to expand Silk Road e-commerce cooperation, hold online shopping festivals featuring quality African products and tourism e-commerce promotion activities, and launch a campaign to market 100 African stores and 1,000 African products on e-commerce platforms.
He said China in the area of the green development programme will undertake 10 green development, environmental protection and climate action projects for Africa, support the development of the “Great Green Wall”, and build in Africa centers of excellence on low-carbon development and climate change adaptation; while in the capacity building program, China will help build or upgrade 10 schools in Africa, and invite 10,000 high-level African professionals to seminars and workshops.
Jinping said: “We will implement “Future of Africa — a project for China-Africa cooperation on vocational education”, and start an employment “through train” scheme for African students in China. China will continue to work with African countries to set up “Luban Workshops”, and encourage Chinese companies in Africa to create at least 800,000 local jobs.”
He said in the cultural and people-to-people exchange programme, China will support making all African countries having diplomatic ties with China approved destinations for Chinese tourist groups. “We will hold African film festivals in China and Chinese film festivals in Africa, as well as a China-Africa youth services forum, and a China-Africa women’s forum,” and in the peace and security program. China will undertake 10 peace and security projects for Africa, continue to deliver military assistance to the AU, support African countries’ efforts to independently maintain regional security and fight terrorism, and conduct joint exercises and on-site training between Chinese and African peacekeeping troops and cooperation on small arms and light weapons control.
China promises Africa on nine developmental strategies
World
UK Reaffirms Commitment to Building Strong Partnerships with Nigerian Universities
UK Reaffirms Commitment to Building Strong Partnerships with Nigerian Universities
By: Michael Mike
The United Kingdom Government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting international education in Nigeria by building strong partnerships with Nigerian universities.
This commitment was made at the Going Global Conference in Abuja themed, “Building sustainable and relevant tertiary education institutions and systems in Africa”.
The three-day conference, which is being hosted by the British Council, holds from the 26th to 28th of November 2024, and provides a platform for tertiary education senior leaders, policymakers and industry experts to debate the future of further and higher education.
The UK Government’s International Education Champion, Sir Steve Smith, in his opening remarks at the conference announced the commencement of three projects between UK and Nigeria universities.
He said: “I am pleased to confirm that starting in January 2025 three new projects with a focus on expanding partnerships between institutions in Nigeria and the UK will be supported through the British Council Transnational education (TNE) exploratory grants scheme.
“Such partnerships not only contribute to transforming local systems and strengthening institutional capabilities, but they also create pathways for cross-sector innovation, bringing academia and industry closer together.”
British High Commissioner, Dr. Richard Montgomery, in his speech at the conference said: “With over 60% of Africa’s population under 25, and projections that population will reach 2.5 billion by 2050, the continent needs to harness a demographic dividend. To do that, more and better-quality higher education is needed.
“Education partnerships in the continent need to evolve. And the focus must be on strengthening Africa’s domestic higher education systems.”
In attendance at the conference were the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, Acting Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Mr. Chris Maiyaki, and other notable education stakeholders.
According to a statement signed on Wednesday by the Senior Communications & Public Diplomacy Officer, Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, British High Commission, Atinuke Akande-Alegbe, Following the conference, Sir Steve Smith will lead a delegation of 11 UK universities to engage with their Nigerian counterparts. This will include a visit to Lagos to explore opportunities for sustainable, mutually beneficial TNE partnerships.
UK Reaffirms Commitment to Building Strong Partnerships with Nigerian Universities
News
Israeli Envoy Alleges Iran Behind Global
Israeli Envoy Alleges Iran Behind Global
By: Michael Mike
Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman has alleged that Iran is at the centre of global terrorism and political unrest, insisting that without a change in the present Iranian political leadership there may be no peace in Middle East and part of Africa.
Speaking in Abuja during the screening of the documentary “We Will Dance Again” directed by Yariv Mozer, shown to commemorate the first anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack, noted that: “The source of this war and the source of the instability is Iran. Iran is responsible and Iran is the backer of Hamas.. Iran is the backer of Hezbollah, Hutus and all the instability in the Middle East.”
He further alleged that: “They are pumping millions of dollars, billions of dollars, expertise, weapons in order to disabilise the entire region. They know what they are doing,. Iran has also made attempt to disabilize Africa and West Africa and they are beginning their action also in Nigeria.
“Iran under a radical leader is a regime that is sponsoring terror, destruction and mysteries for millions not least for the Iranian people, and the quicker that the world takes action against Iran to remove the leadership and change the leadership the quicker the world will be a better place.
He said: “The world needs to stand together against terrorism . Terrorism in Israel will not stop in Israel. We have seen radical terrorism here in Nigeria like in Israel.
“We have learnt that when it starts in Israel it never finishes there. Countries that face terrorism needs to work together, United to stop it, because I promise you the terrorists are all working together, terrorists do not recognize borders, they do not recognize the states or any other thing.
“So we all need to come together, share our expertise and work together to stop terrorism.
“Israel is ready to share and work togehwr with anybody who wants to tackle and stop trrrorism.”
Freeman said: “Israel’s demand is very clear that the world understands terrorism, Nigeria has been the victim of terrorism, the particularly extremist terrorism and we will need to stand together, side by side all those countries who are fighting against terrorism to ensure that the world is a better place.
“We need to ensure that Hamas can never carry attack like we just saw again. I will say that what we just saw was one place that was attacked, we hadn’t looked at the villages and communities, we didn’t look at the other 900 people who were murdered and their children in their bedroom, killed and burnt alive, and raped.”
He noted that the ideology of Hamas has shown that there won’t be peace in the Middle East unless they are wiped off.
“Hamas is dedicated to the destruction of Israel and want the death of every Jew, that is the words of Hamas.
Anybody wants to see peace in the Middle East, Hamas must be destroyed.
There cannot be peace while Hamas is still existing.”
The envoy added that: “In 2005, Israel left the Gaza Strip, we withdrew all of our soldiers, all of our Jewish citizens, all of the communities, settlement. Since 2005 there haven’t been single Israeli inside the Gaza Strip, when we left there, we left communities, buildings, agriculture settlements, opportunities for people and for Palestinians in Gaza, to build a better future.
“But in 2007, when they elected Hamas and Hamas came into power, since then they have ran a brutal dictatorship and taken all international aids and used it to build terrorism, tunnels and build weapons, if the aids is going to the people, they have impoverished their own people, they created a dynamics where they cannot live, they cannot have decent lifestyle. So if anybody is responsible for what happens it is Hamas.
“Israel has stated clearly we want to have peace with our neighbours. The Palestinians say if you withdraw you will have peace. We withdrew and we received rockets and terrorism. So it is not a reality, the death of any innocent is an absolute tragedy.
“The death of an Israeli or Palestinian child is the same tragedy, the mother mourns, the father mourns, it doesn’t matter. The question is who would we put the blame on for those deaths.
“The Israeli death is clear Hamas murdered in cold bold. In Gaza Israel is doing all it can to avoid civilian casualties.
“Civilian casualties resulted in the fact that Hamas has imbedded itself inside civilian infrastructure, in Gaza. Hamas are inside the hospitals, they are inside the schools, the mosque. They use everything that they can as a structure.
“Hamas unfortunately comes from a wicked ideology that none of us can understand. Every death in Gaza is the fault of Hamas.
“On Oct. 6, there was a cease fire. We weren’t near. Hamas were the ones who started this, and launched this and we will make sure that jHamas will never be able to do that again.”
Israeli Envoy Alleges Iran Behind Global
News
UK Foreign Secretary Arrives Nigeria in First Trip to Africa
UK Foreign Secretary Arrives Nigeria in First Trip to Africa
By: Michael Mike
United Kingdom’s Foreign Secretary, David Lammy has arrived Nigeria in what is his first trip to the African continent
A statement signed on Sunday by the Senior Press & Public Affairs Officer | Comms Lead, Prosperity and Economic Development, Ndidiamaka Eze disclosed that: “Committing to a fresh approach to Africa that works productively from Morocco to Madagascar, the Foreign Secretary will announce the start of a five-month consultation process, to ensure African voices inform and sit at the very heart of the UK’s new approach to the continent.
“Accommodating the diverse needs and ambitions of 54 countries, the consultation will guarantee the UK’s relationships across Africa are based on mutual respect and partnership.”
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said on his visit, that: “Africa has huge growth potential, with the continent on track to make up 25% of the world’s population by 2050.
“Our new approach will deliver respectful partnerships that listen rather than tell, deliver long term growth rather than short term solutions and build a freer, safer, more prosperous continent. I want to hear what our African partners need and foster relationships so that the UK and our friends and partners in Africa can grow together.
“Growth is the core mission of this government and will underpin our relationships in Nigeria and beyond. This will mean more jobs, more prosperity and more opportunities for Brits and Africans alike.”
The Foreign Secretary is expected to advocate for further collaboration on mutual growth via the UK-Nigeria Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership, signed earlier this year. This partnership is the key vehicle for driving trade and market access between the UK and Nigeria and plays a vital role in the UK’s growth mission.
He will also advocate for further trade and climate collaboration between Nigeria and the UK in high level meetings with President Tinubu, Foreign Affairs Minister, Ambassador. Yusuf Tuggar and Lagos State, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The statement said: “Building on President Tinubu’s macro-economic reforms, the Foreign Secretary will announce a diverse Technical Assistance package to the Nigerian Ministry of Finance, offering British expertise from the Bank of England, HMRC and others to help continue to modernise and diversify the Nigerian economy.”
The statement added that: “Catalysing reform across Nigeria will create further opportunities within the flourishing Nigerian economy for British businesses – generating growth, jobs and incomes for Brits and Nigerians.”
UK Foreign Secretary Arrives Nigeria in First Trip to Africa
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