Nigeria will upgrade its relations in culture, tourism and information sectors with China, Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed has said.
Speaking in Nigerian capital Abuja on Wednesday with the outgoing Chinese ambassador to Nigeria Gu Xiaojie, the minister said deepening relations in these sectors was sequel to the recent state visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to China.
Mohammed said his ministry would also exploit the opportunities and potentials in the forthcoming maiden World Conference on Tourism to be held in China, to boost bilateral relations.
The minister observed that the tenure of the Chinese envoy was historic. "Your tenure witnessed growing relations between Nigeria and China which culminated into the State visit of President Buhari to China," Mohammed said.
The minister said the state visit of the President had led to the signing of many bilateral agreements relating to economic, monetary and infrastructural development.
Earlier, Gu Xiaojie said that China and Nigeria, being the biggest economies in Asia and Africa respectively, would harness their potentials for internal and global advantages, adding he had witnessed the anti-corruption and developmental strides of the new government during his two years in the country.
The envoy added that the two countries should harness their rich cultural heritage for socio-economic development.
