The Federal Government of Nigeria has hailed China’s decision to extend zero-tariff treatment to 100 per cent of tariff lines for African countries.
It noted that the move can serve as a foundation for industrialisation, job creation and shared prosperity in Nigeria.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, stated this at an international seminar organised by the Centre for China Studies in Abuja.
The seminar, themed “China’s Zero-Tariff Treatment on 100% of Tariff Lines for African Countries and its Implications for Structural Economic Transformation in Africa,” examined opportunities and challenges of expanded market access for African products.
Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu, according to a statement by Dr. Magnus Eze, Special Assistant on Communication and New Media, described the policy as a historic development that could shift Africa-China relations from a focus on “aid and loans” towards “trade and production.”
She said duty-free access to China’s market of about 1.4 billion people is a “game-changer” for Nigeria’s agro-processing, textiles, solid minerals and manufacturing sectors.
“Zero tariff is meaningless if we have nothing to export,” she stressed, adding that Nigeria will prioritise building productive capacity in areas such as cocoa processing, sesame, leather, garments, pharmaceuticals and renewable energy components.
The Minister said the policy presents Africa an opportunity to move from export of raw commodities to value-added products, including processed agricultural goods, textiles, leather products, pharmaceuticals and manufactured goods.
Other potential benefits she listed include:
Increased export earnings and foreign exchange generation
SME growth, infrastructure development and job creation
Technology transfer and poverty reduction
Attraction of Chinese investments into industrial parks, agro-processing facilities and manufacturing hubs
Strengthening regional value chains through the African Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA
She noted the policy complements AfCFTA by giving African producers access to two major markets — Africa and China — while providing an opportunity to address Nigeria’s longstanding trade imbalance with China.
Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu, however, cautioned that zero tariffs alone would not guarantee transformation.
She stressed the need for:
Productive capacity, reliable electricity, affordable finance and efficient logistics
Closing information gaps and improving access to Chinese buyers
Meeting international standards and maintaining effective rules of origin to prevent trans-shipment of non-African goods
She said the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, NIPC, and other agencies are prepared to work with Chinese investors to establish factories in Nigeria for export to China.
The Minister called for greater technical cooperation between Nigerian and Chinese regulatory authorities to enable Nigerian exporters to meet Chinese standards, including food safety and sanitary and phytosanitary requirements.
She said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would facilitate regulatory engagements between NAFDAC, SON and their Chinese counterparts.
On trade finance, she advocated streamlined shipping arrangements and payment mechanisms in naira and renminbi to reduce transaction costs.
The Ministry also assured it would coordinate with the NIPC, Chinese Embassy in Abuja, and Nigerian missions in China to support exporters seeking to access the Chinese market.
“To our private sector, the door to China is now fully open. The question is: what are we taking through it?” she asked.
The Minister thanked the Government and people of China for the gesture of solidarity with Africa.