In line with the bold efforts of the President Tinubu-led administration to drive industrialization and economic diversification, the Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership (NCSP) held a strategic meeting with the China-Africa Geoscience Cooperation Center and Yangtse Automotive Group to discuss collaborative investments in the mining and electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing sectors. The aim is to revitalize Nigeria’s manufacturing base and unlock sustainable industrial growth.
The meeting, which took place at the NCSP office in Abuja, was led by the Director General of NCSP, Mr. Joseph Tegbe, who emphasized the urgent need for Nigeria to reindustrialize by leveraging strategic Chinese investments. He stressed the importance of attracting serious, long-term partners to build a resilient and competitive industrial ecosystem.
Mr. Tegbe highlighted the opportunities available across the full EV value chain—from mineral extraction and refining to battery storage, charging infrastructure, and vehicle manufacturing—positioning Nigeria as a hub for clean mobility and energy innovation in West Africa. These efforts, he noted, are meant to complement the strides made by the Honourable Minister of Solid Minerals, Mr. Dele Alake.
Speaking on behalf of the Chinese delegation, Professor Hu Peng, Secretary General of the China-Africa Geoscience Cooperation Center, reaffirmed President Xi Jinping’s commitment to strengthening China-Africa cooperation. He cited the Center’s longstanding partnership with Nigeria in geoscience research and capacity building and highlighted the readiness of Yangtse Automotive and Hubei Wan New Energy to invest in Nigeria’s evolving industrial landscape.
As part of the agreed next steps, Yangtse Automotive, Hubei Wan New Energy, and NCSP will collaborate to ensure the timely realization of the proposed investments and facilitate efficient regulatory approvals in both China and Nigeria. Yangtse Automotive is expected to submit a formal Expression of Interest to NCSP, detailing specific areas of collaboration. In turn, the NCSP team will undertake a technical visit to Hubei Wan New Energy’s facilities in the coming weeks to assess operational capacity and project feasibility.
This engagement reinforces NCSP’s mandate to facilitate credible international partnerships that stimulate manufacturing, create jobs, and accelerate Nigeria’s industrial transformation under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.