Business
Nigeria, China Trade Grows By N2.03trn In 6yrs
The Nigeria-China Busi
ness Council (NCBC) has said trade relations between both countries had increased from 2.7 billion dollars (N531.9 billion) in 2009 to 13 billion dollars (N2.56 trillion) currently.
The volume of trade within the six year period represents an increase of 10.3 billion dollars (N2.03 trillion) or 381 per cent.
The National Coordinator of the Council, Mr. Matthew Onwekwe, stated this during a chat with journalists in Abuja, on Monday.
He said when the council was set up in 2009 under the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, the level of trade between both countries was 2.7 billion dollars in favour of China and about 700 million dollars in favour of Nigeria.
Onwekwe said that the council was set up due to the need to balance the trade imbalance between both countries.
“Before the council was established, we had our mandate which is to promote the trade relationship between Nigeria and China and attract investors into various sectors of the economy.
“When we started this council, the trade relationship between Nigeria and China was about 2.7 billion dollars in favour of China
and about 700 million in favour of Nigeria.
“Then we sat down and said we cannot continue to run an economy like this because the relationship is one sided and we must work to balance the trade between Nigeria and China.
“Today’s trade relations between Nigeria and China is over 13 billion dollars in favour of China; and for Nigeria it is almost closed to 10 billion dollars and that is as a result of the effort made by this council,” he said.
Onwekwe said some of the products that contributed to Nigeria’s exports to China were Cocoa, Cashew and Cotton wool among others.
He said the council was currently diversifying its efforts at increasing investment into Nigeria, noting that some Chinese investors
have begun the manufacturing of prepaid meters in the country.
“We have invited a lot of investors from China who are here today. We have brought in investment through the prepaid
meter