President Bola Tinubu has named Mr. Joseph Tegbe as the Director-General and Global Liaison for the Nigeria-China strategic partnership, following agreements reached during his September visit to China. Tegbe, a first-class graduate in civil engineering from Obafemi Awolowo University in 1988, will directly report to the President.
The announcement was made in a statement by Mr. Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, on Sunday.
Tegbe's appointment aims to enhance collaboration between the two nations in various sectors.
“He will immediately submit a strategic action plan to enable Nigeria to benefit from the agreements between the two countries in Beijing.
“As the czar of the strategic partnership, he will lead day-to-day operations, engage continuously with the Chinese counterparts, and ensure that all deliverables are met and synchronized with national development goals.
“In the strategic plan, he will outline the specific deliverables, timelines, and key performance indicators for each area of cooperation.
“This will include priority projects, projected investments, and expected socioeconomic outcomes,” the statement said.
At the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), President Xi Jinping pledged 360 billion yuan, about 51 billion dollars, in new financing to African nations in the next three years.
He also pledged support for 30 infrastructure projects to boost connectivity across the continent and create one million jobs.
During his official visit before the FOCAC, Tinubu also obtained a commitment from Jinping to support Nigeria’s economic diversification plans, infrastructure development, technology transfer and job creatio