President Bola Tinubu will return to Abuja from the United Kingdom on Sunday.
Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, announced this in a statement he released on Saturday night, titled ‘President Tinubu returns to Abuja from an official trip to China after a stopover in London.’
Onanuga stated that Tinubu “will return to Abuja on Sunday, following his official visit to China and a brief stay in the United Kingdom.”
The President embarked on his trip to Beijing, China, on August 29, and began his official visit on Tuesday, September 2, with a meeting with President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People.
During their bilateral meeting, Nigeria and China signed five Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) aimed at enhancing cooperation. One notable MOU is the Cooperation Plan, which promotes the Belt and Road Initiative, supports the peaceful application of nuclear energy, and strengthens collaboration on human resource development through the Global Development Initiative.
Other agreements included a MoU on Media Exchange and Cooperation between China Media Group and the Nigerian Television Authority, as well as a partnership with China Harbour Engineering Company for the construction of the 68 km Lagos Green rail line, which will connect the Lekki Free Zone to the Marina and link up with the Blue Line.
Additionally, an MoU was signed for a $1 billion iron ore-to-steel project in Kogi State between Chart and Capstone Integrated Limited of Nigeria and Sinomach-He of China.
The following day, Tinubu led his delegation in further bilateral discussions with Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
That evening, President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, hosted Tinubu at a Welcoming Banquet and Cultural Gala Performance on the eve of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Summit.
Before the summit’s opening in Beijing, President Tinubu visited two Chinese companies: Huawei and China Harbour Engineering Company.
At the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), Tinubu, as chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State, emphasized the importance of multilateralism and cooperation for global peace.
He concluded his visit with a meeting with representatives from the Nigerian Diaspora Organisation in China, where he defended the reforms his government is implementing in Nigeria. He expressed hope that these reforms would lead the country towards improved infrastructure, reliable power supply, and quality education, similar to that of China.
After his time in China, President Tinubu traveled to London, where he engaged in discussions about climate financing with King Charles III. China was Tinubu’s 24th foreign destination since he took office approximately 16 months ago.
His previous visits include Equatorial Guinea, London (twice), the United Kingdom (twice), Bissau, Guinea-Bissau (twice), Nairobi, Kenya, Porto Novo in Benin Republic, Pretoria in South Africa, Accra in Ghana, New Delhi in India, Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, New York in the United States, Riyadh in Saudi Arabia (twice), Berlin in Germany, Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, Dakar in Senegal, and Doha in Qatar.
