Nigeria and the People’s Republic of China have agreed to collaborate on humanitarian affairs and poverty reduction.
This commitment was made during a courtesy visit by the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, to the Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Yusuf Sununu yesterday.
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During the meeting, Sununu expressed Nigeria’s interest in leveraging China’s experiences in lifting millions of people out of poverty.
He detailed Nigeria’s ongoing humanitarian challenges, which include acute malnutrition in children, a large number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees, and the impact of climate change.
The minister proposed several areas for collaboration, such as developing durable solutions for displaced persons, implementing “Skill to Wealth” training programs, and building the capacity of ministry staff and frontline workers.
Dunhai highlighted the shared characteristic of a large population between the two nations and noted that China has overcome significant historical challenges related to hunger.
He said his country is ready to share its expertise, which has enabled it to achieve remarkable success in poverty alleviation over the last decade.
The ambassador emphasised that effective poverty reduction requires comprehensive investments in a range of sectors, including food security, agriculture, industrialisation, education, and security.
He assured the minister that the Chinese Embassy is committed to partnering with the ministry to achieve their shared goals.
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Yakubu Kofarmata, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, thanked the Ambassador for the visit and the interest in collaboration, specifically acknowledging the potential for capacity-building training for the ministry’s staff.
