Chinese investments in Nigeria by June of this year hit $8.2 billion, and is expected to reach $10 billion by the end of the year.
The Chinese Economic and Commercial Counsellor in Nigeria, Rong Yansong, has disclosed.
Yansong who made this known during a courtesy visit to the minister of state for trade and investment, Dr. Samuel Ortom, in his office in Abuja, revealed that over 40,000 Nigerians were employed by Chinese enterprises operating in Nigeria, noting that more Chinese investment were expected in the country.
Receiving the envoy, the minister pointed out that the federal government was willing to remove barriers that were affecting investment, stating that the ministry’s mandate was to ensure that the environment was condusive for investors to operate.
Ortom urged the Chinese investors to invest more in the manufacturing sector of the Nigerian economy to facilitate employment opportunities in the country in line with the target of the ministry to create three million employment opportunities in the next three years.
He noted that China was a major partner to Nigeria in trade and investment and commended the effort of government and people of China in their quest to invest more in the country.
He charged the counselor to liaise with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) to speed up the signing of agreement on sub-standard goods based on the fact that the ministry and SON were eager to eliminate importation of sub-standard goods into the country.
“The ministry will encourage SON to look at the area of disagreement with Chinese representative in Nigeria and come out with agreement that will be beneficial to both countries,”Ortum said.
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