Columns

Share the Chinese Harmony and Perform Africa-China Symphony

Published

2 years ago

August 10, 2022

News Net Global

Share the Chinese Harmony and Perform Africa-China Symphony

By: CUI Jianchun, Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria

The world is undergoing major changes unseen in a century, with ups and downs of COVID-19 throughout the world. The spillover effects of the Ukraine issue have impacted the global food, energy and financial landscape, and the cause of global development is facing headwinds. Against such backdrop, African countries have voiced urgent aspirations for development, and called for international equity and justice.

China fully share the sentiment of African countries. Over the past decades, China and Africa have maintained long-term friendship, which has stood the test of changing international circumstances. The all-round cooperation between the two sides brought about remarkable outcomes in political, economic, social and security fields, which greatly contributed to Africa’s social and economic development.

At present, China and Africa are stepping up efforts to implement the outcomes of the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation(FOCAC) and accelerate the building of a China-Africa community with a shared future. China is ready to join Africa to promote the realization of the UN 2030 SDGs and the AU Agenda 2063, firmly safeguard the common interests of developing countries, and promote the building of a more just and rational international political and economic order.

First, we will uphold the spirit of China-Africa friendship and cooperation, and build an even stronger China-Africa community with a shared future. In November 2021 , Chinese President Xi Jinping made an important statement at the Eighth Ministerial Conference of the FOCAC and creatively put forward the spirit of China-Africa friendship and cooperation, featuring sincere friendship and equality, win-win for mutual benefit and common development, fairness and justice, and progress with the times and openness and inclusiveness. This spirit truly captures the relations of China and Africa working together in good and hard times over the past decades, and provides a source of strength for the continuous growth of China-Africa ties.

At this Conference, President Xi also proposed “Nine Programs” of China-Africa cooperation in terms of medical and health, poverty reduction and agricultural development, trade promotion, investment promotion, digital innovation, green development, capacity building, cultural and people-to-people exchange, and peace and security. The Nine Programs have drawn up an ambitious blueprint for China-Africa cooperation in the coming years and have been highly praised by African countries.

Under this framework, China will implement 80 key aid projects, establish a “green channel” for African agricultural products to China, and strive to import $300 billion worth of products from Africa in the next three years. China will support the building of the African continental Free Trade Area and the building of the Great Green Wall of Africa. These concrete measures meet the most pressing development needs of African countries, align with China’s new development pattern and conform to the general trend of international development cooperation. The Nine Programs are manifestos of China’s undiminished support to Africa’s development and will certainly lend new impetus to Africa’s post-pandemic economic recovery.

Second, we will jointly promote common development and safeguard global security and stability. The simmering hot spot issues in some regions have produced a series of negative spillover effects. The world is faced with multiple and cross-cutting challenges, and the economic recovery and social stability of developing countries are under impact. Developing countries should not be the victims of international crises, still less the victims of conflicts and turbulence. Meanwhile, international development cooperation is losing steam and the achievement of the 2030 Agenda of SDGs is at risk.

Facts have proven time and again that development holds the key to solving all kinds of governance challenges and improving people’s well-being. Countries should put development at the center of the international agenda, improve the global governance system, strengthen global development cooperation and achieve common development for all.

In a view to address pressing global deficit and imbalance of development, last September President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Development Initiative(GDI) at the UN General Assembly. The purpose is to galvanize worldwide attention to development, strengthen global development partnership, promote international development cooperation, and catalyze global actions towards realization of 2030 Agenda.

Later on, earlier this year at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2022, President Xi Jinping proposed for the first time the Global Security Initiative(GSI). This major Initiative aims to meet the pressing need of the international community to maintain world peace and prevent conflicts and wars, to meet the common aspirations of countries to uphold multilateralism and international solidarity, and to meet the shared desire of all peoples to build a better world beyond the pandemic.

These above two important initiatives are embedded in the spirit of true multilateralism, uphold the spirit of cooperation and partnership featuring openness, and welcomes the participation of all countries. The two initiatives also widely reflected the common aspirations of African counties, voiced their demands and thus enjoyed broad support from this continent. The two sides should uphold the spirit of China-Africa friendship, set the Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative into actions, and march toward the aspiration of promoting common and inclusive development, and safeguarding global security.

Third, we will work together to safeguard world fairness and justice and build a fair and just international order. As a firm builder of world peace, defender of the international order and mediator of hot spot issues, China always holds high the banner of peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefit. China is committed to upholding the international system with the United Nations at its core, the international order based on international law and the basic norms governing international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.

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African countries unanimously object hegemonism and power politics, interference in the internal affairs of other countries and racial discrimination, call for increased representation of developing countries in global governance, and guarantees of equal rights and equality of opportunity.

For a long time, China and African countries have shared weal and woe, fighting together against colonization, apartheid and racism. We have understood and supported each other on issues concerning our core interests and major concerns, always standing at the forefront of international justice.

However, there is a long way for us to make this world a fair, equal, inclusive and just place. Developing countries are kept on being victimized by hegemony, supremacy, blockade. China will always support developing countries, in particular the African countries in playing a bigger and more active role in international affairs, and is willing to work with African brothers to uphold and exercise true multilateralism, strengthen communication and coordination on major international and regional affairs, and make the international governance system more just and equitable.

Nigeria is Africa’s largest economy and most populous country with significant international and regional influence. China is the largest developing country. The friendship between our two countries could date back to decades ago, and we have become reliable partners worthy of mutual dependence. It is in the common interests of the two countries and the two peoples to strengthen practical cooperation in various fields.

Currently the two countries are strengthening an intergovernmental committee led by the foreign ministers of the two countries. This committee will coordinate to promote mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries in various fields: to promote China’s new development pattern and Nigeria’s new national development plan; to jointly build the Belt and Road cooperation; to vigorously promote the construction of key projects to help the development of Nigeria’s industrialization; to continue to expand the space for cooperation to create new highlights of the digital economy and green economy; to carry out in-depth military security cooperation to improve Nigeria’s ability to maintain national security; to collaborate on regional affairs, exercise the concept of multilateralism, and safeguard the common interests of developing countries. Under the stewardship of the committee, the potential of all-round cooperation between our two countries will be greatly unleashed.

China and Nigeria are two great countries in the world. I do believe that both countries share similar values and moralities, worship friendliness and kindness, work towards better lives of their own peoples and the peoples of the world at large. As the 14th Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, I was passionate to push forward the strategic partnership between our two countries. After my arrival, I have put forward 5GIST Nigeria-China GDP (Growth, Development and Progress) Strategy, which was warmly welcomed by Nigerian friends at various levels. I will spare no efforts to promote the two countries and peoples to Share Chinese Harmony and Perform Nigeria-China Symphony. With Nigeria-China’s joint efforts, I believe that this spirit will prevail in this continent, and in the end China and Africa will together Share Chinese Harmony and Perform Africa-China Symphony, working towards a shared future for all.

Share the Chinese Harmony and Perform Africa-China Symphony

Columns

University Courses: Marketable and Non-Marketable Courses—How True?

Published

4 weeks ago

November 25, 2024

Ochuwa Ibrahim

University Courses: Marketable and Non-Marketable Courses—How True?

By: Balami Lazarus

Let me make it clear hereinafter that I am not against any academic course or the role of guidance and counseling for good career choice, provided that our young men and women will be guided properly. Not long ago, I visited a friend who teaches at one of the universities. It was interesting to be with him, having spent years without seeing each other.

My friend and I took time out and had a long discussion on national issues concerning our country in an attempt to proffer verbal solutions that will only end and stop as mere talks, which most Nigerians are good at doing, including this writer.

In furtherance to our discussion, I was very particular about education and how to improve the sector in terms of standards, academic excellence, and skills. I also raised the issue of corruption in the system. In the process I immediately recalled what some parents and guardians are peddling around saying: “There are marketable and non-marketable courses in our universities.

“For me, I know that for hundreds of years, universities are known to be great centers of teaching, learning,learning and research, contributing to arts, science, and technology for the purpose of national development. My friend was quick to add that “the academic corruption is perpetrated by some lecturers and students, monetarily and sexually.”

Having discussed the corruption bug. I asked the university Don if there are any courses as marketable and non-marketable courses in our universities. This one question gave the Don a good laugh. He looked at me and said, “I have spent years as a teacher in the university academic department. I have never heard of any course(s) known as marketable and non-marketable academic disciplines or any faculty/department that run such courses.

As young secondary school students aspiring to go to the university to study courses of our choices where our interest lies and looking forward to becoming either political scientists, engineers, lawyers, historians, or doctors, and so on. In this regard, we had never heard or been told by our teachers or parents that there are marketable and non-marketable academic courses. Therefore, we should study the marketable courses.

The question I always asked myself was, where are these courses? What we have in our universities are courses leading to different human endeavors. Whatever one decided to call these courses, what is obtainable today is the need to have to add skills to your academic training; employers of labor are today skills-oriented for those who are hoping to be employed.

Balami, a Publisher/Columnist, 08036779290

University Courses: Marketable and Non-Marketable Courses—How True?

Columns

With Fury of a Tempest, Alau Dam Flood

Published

1 month ago

November 15, 2024

Ochuwa Ibrahim

With Fury of a Tempest, Alau Dam Flood

By: Balami Lazarus

Who wants to be a millionaire? a television quiz program anchored by one Frank Idoho, which I hardly missed. I recalled a question once asked: Where is Lake Alau? In the options, there was Borno state among other states. The young man on the hot seat gave a wrong answer. I believe because Lake Alau was then not popular, unlike its cousin, Lake Chad.

Not much is known about the Lake, Alau, and the dam known and called Lake Alau Dam put together. Let me first start with the lake as a natural geographical feature, a large body of water surrounded by land. However, and to the best of my findings, there is no available written document on the history of this lake in question. But it held that the Lake was there many years traceable to the period of the Kanem- Borno Empire. While the present Alau was a small settlement that emerged during the formative years of Shehu’s dynasty from 1846 to the present day. It later grew into a village with people of Kanuri extraction.

Alau is today part of the Konduga Local Government Area of Borno state, some few kilometers away from Maiduguri city center. For the purpose of providing portable drinking water and to improve agriculture through irrigation farming and fishing, a dam was constructed by the past administration of the state from 1984 to 1986. The project was tagged as Water for Borno. Thereby, Lake Alau Dam has become part of the people’s lives, for its importance cannot be quantified.

The recent Alau Dam flood that nearly swept away the city of Maiduguri came with a raging fury of a tempest in September 2024 I will liken to one of the works of William Shakespeare—”The Tempest.”TheTempest”. That of the play was simply and deliberately raised to humble palace traitor Antonio and his co-conspirators, who ousted Duke Prospero, whom they marooned on a deserted island, leaving him to his fate. But ours came with devastating destruction and killing with ravaging effect from head to tail, which has caused unestimated damage.

The flood was not because of the heavy rainfall experienced last season but from the overflow of the dam and subsequent breakoff of its decks. My last visit to Lake Alau Dam with some friends was years back. What was observed and saw were obsolete facilities that were outdated, old, and weakly decked. There was nothing to show that the dam is being cared for. But while growing up in Zaria as kids, we were so used to seeing Kubani and the University (ABU) dams being opened up to let out large quantities of water to avoid overflow and flooding. Has Alau Dam ever experienced that? Has it been dredged?

Therefore, the 13-man committee led by Mr. Liman Gana Mustapha, a professional town planner, may wish to consider these questions as an inroad to finding a lasting solution to the flood matter.

Balami, a Publisher/Columnist. 08036779290

With Fury of a Tempest, Alau Dam Flood

Columns

The Rise and Fall of Garkida, a Social Decline

Published

2 months ago

November 7, 2024

Ochuwa Ibrahim

The Rise and Fall of Garkida, a Social Decline

By: Balami Lazarus

In my recent visit to see my aged mother in Shaffa, a small rural town. In a chat with some of my peers, Garkida came up, and one of us immediately informed the group that the town is socially dredged. I made some findings, and you may wish to agree. I believed students of history my generation were once taught about the rise and fall of great empires, kingdoms, rulers, warriors, and other historical events during our secondary school days. In the cause of those lessons, our imaginations were always taken far to other lands.

We never thought that someday there would be a fall or decline of our own, which could be a town, village, or settlement, but never like the fall of the known historical empires/kingdoms of Oyo, Jukun, Fante/Ashante, Kanem-Borno, Songhai, etc. To rise is a difficult task in life or in the course of growth, be it individual, town, or city. But to fall is easy. Garkida has rose and fallen, or, to say, declined socially. Once a bubbling rural town in Buraland, being in Gombi Local Government Area of Adamawa State has nose-dived from the social ladder.

As a historian, I will not subscribe to the use of the term fall; it will defile my histo-journalistic sense of reasoning because Garkida is a proper noun and is there real. So it will rather go well with me and perhaps some readers of this essay to accept Declined as a better use of historical language for the purpose of this work. I am not a native of Garkida and have never lived there, but it was the home of my cousins and nieces long before now.

As a young man, I had it well with friends when the town was in her social chemistry and apogee. In spite of her decline, the arrears in our kitty, notwithstanding the flow of time, are the mutual friendship, an indelible mark in our social life. I remember clearly as a holiday-maker with my grandmother at Shaffa, Garkida was the in-thing in our youthful days because of the mass social activities that used to take place there.

There were social interactions with friends and relatives from different places, parties of all kinds—a social front burner. And to most of my peers, it was the center of today’s mobile social handle—Facebook, where you meet and make new friends. That was Garkida for us. As a rural town, it flourished with glamour, elegance, and pride, triggered by the social engineering of Who is Who? The creme de la creme of her sons and daughters who made nane in their vocations or professions that promoted and spread the name of Garkida as social lighthouse.

It was the abode of top military brass in the ranks of generals. Her businessmen once made the town tick as a cluster of has. It was the nerve of vogue and socialites in Buraland. There was declined in this capacity. Historically, Garkida came to the limelight and appeared on the colonial map of Nigeria in 1923, when the white Christian missionaries of CBN/EYN first settled there and made it their home on the 17th March of the aforementioned year. The beginning of her social mobility started in the 1970s, through the 1980s, to the dawn of the 1990s, her zenith.

I doff my hat for the united daughters of Garkida; credit goes to them; their exposures, taste, beauty, love, elegance, sophistication, unity of purpose, and social agrandisement made them wives of husbands of men from far and near who are of different walks of life. The women of Garkida were a central force, once the venus de milo of the town before its social decline. I cannot conclude this article without appreciating the fact that Garkida was the center of learning and vocational training and once the hold of good and efficient healthcare services in Buraland and its neighbors. Today, Garkida is no longer in the vantage position.

Balami, a Publisher/Columnist, 08036779290.