Don canvasses increased economic ties with China for rapid industrial development.

From Cyril Mbah, Abuja.

A professor of social sciences at the University of Abuja, Professor Yusufu A. Zoaka has vehemently canvassed for stronger economic collaboration between Nigeria and the Peoples Republic of China to enable the country take proper advantage of the development successes of the Asian giant to achieve rapid industrial growth.

The University don reasoned that it would be far cheaper and better for Nigeria to embrace and do business with China than the western nations that “demand a pound of flesh for every single assistance or technological knowledge transfered to African nations.”

Zoaka especially urged the Federal Government to explore diverse ways of taking increased advantage of China’s Belts and Road Initiative to enhance and advance the country’s critical infrastructure for economic development nationwide pointing out that China would demand less from Nigeria compared to western countries.

The former Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Abuja, gave the advise in an exclusive interview in Abuja shortly after a one-day lecture with the theme: “Chinese Modernization and Africa’s Development: The Belt and Roads Initiative,” delivered by a delegation of Chinese experts from the Institute of West-Asian and African Studies (IWAAS) and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences led by Professor Xiaoming Wang.

He recalled that the Belts and Road Initiative (BRI) was unveiled by the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and leader X-Jinpingin between September and October 2013 during visits to Kazakhstan and Indonesia and was thereafter promoted by other officials during state visits to Asia, Africa and Europe.

According to Professor Zoaka, China’s Belts and Road Initiative aims to improve understanding and connectivity between China and more than 150 countries through infrastructure investment, regional cooperation and has the potential to accelerate significantly the rate of economic integration and development in Nigeria and other benefitting nations, apart from having positive impact on cost of trade around the globe.

The initiative, he stated further, identified five priority areas for intervention namely the international cooperation: policy coordination, facilities connectivity, unimpeded trade, financial integration and people-to-people bonding.

Nigeria, he said, has already started benefitting from the initiative on some projects such as the Lekki Deep Sea Port. the Daura-Maradi-Kano rail lines and airports facelift projects among others that are being financed by China but added that more needs to be done to build trust and tackle corruption before meaningful headway can be made in realising our development and economic growth goals.

Professor Zoaka frowned at critics of government, who think that Nigeria is entering into slavery or mortgaging the future of its children with the increasing amount of loans obtained from China.

He said “The loans obtained from China come with zero interest rates for specific projects. The fear among people about Nigeria going into slavery is largely unfounded and is not based on any facts. There is no country in the world that can live in isolation and there is no country that is completely self-sufficient.

“Every country relies on others for  some specific need. The fact that we borrow from China does not mean we would allow them to dominate and control our economy,” Zoaka argued.

He said people should not perceive China as an enemy but should hail it as a friendly country willing to help the nation grow its economy to stability.

He advised that such friendly posture should be differentiated from allowing foreigners to takeover the economy.

The leader of the seven member delegation, Professor  Xiaoping Wang  explained I am interview that the group will also visit Cote d’Ivoire and Sierra Leone apart from Nigeria to explore and strengthen cooperation and friendship between China and the host countries through people to people interaction and to build partnerships with academic institutions.

At the end of the tour, it is expected that some institutions in the three countries, will benefit from several assistance packages including scholarships, exchange visits between students and lecturers, among others.