Abuja (Nigeria): The Federal Government of Nigeria and the People’s Republic of China have expressed interest in collaborating on humanitarian affairs and poverty reduction.
Iliya Isyaku, Director, Information and Public Relations, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, issued this statement in Abuja on Thursday.
Isyaku said the two countries expressed their intentions when the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Yusuf Sununu, in Abuja on Thursday.
The minister, while discussing potential areas of collaboration on poverty reduction and humanitarian affairs between Nigeria and China, acknowledged the good intentions of the Chinese government in partnering with the ministry.
He expressed Nigeria’s eagerness to learn from China’s experiences, highlighting the humanitarian challenges in Nigeria, which include acute malnutrition in children, internally displaced persons, refugees, and climate change, among others.
He identified potential areas of collaboration, including Durable Solutions, Partnership in Skill to Wealth Training Programmes, and capacity building for the ministry’s staff, particularly frontline workers, focusing on poverty reduction and prompt humanitarian assistance to vulnerable populations.
Responding, the Chinese ambassador to Nigeria noted that both countries share many commonalities, particularly in terms of population, with China having approximately 1.4 billion people as of last year.
Dunhai disclosed that China had suffered issues of hunger in times past, adding that the country had achieved much in addressing the challenges.
The ambassador highlighted China’s experience in lifting millions of people out of poverty in the last decade and expressed his country’s willingness to share expertise with Nigeria.
He noted that addressing poverty required comprehensive investment in food security, agriculture, industrialisation, education, protection and developmental stability.
According to him, the Chinese Embassy is ready to partner with the ministry to achieve common goals.
The Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Yakubu Kofarmata, thanked the Ambassador for the visit and his country’s interest in partnering with the ministry in the area of humanitarian affairs and poverty reduction, as well as capacity training for staff.