On August 14, 2026, H.E. Yu Dunhai, Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, attended the International Seminar organized by the Centre for China Studies, themed “China’s Zero-Tariff Treatment on 100% of Tariff Lines for African Countries and Its Implications for Structural Economic Transformation in Africa”. Honorable Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Dunoma Umar Ahmed, along with other senior government officials and traditional leaders were present at the event. Nearly 500 participants, including representatives from the Nigerian Government, think tanks, media outlets, ECOWAS, and members of the diplomatic corps in Nigeria, attended the seminar, while scholars from South Africa, Egypt, and other African countries participated online.

In his speech, Ambassador Yu noted that President Xi Jinping’s announcement of granting zero-tariff treatment to all African countries having diplomatic relations with China marks a milestone in building an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era. Over the past three and a half months since its implementation, the policy dividends of the zero-tariff measure have manifested rapidly, injecting strong momentum into China-Africa economic and trade cooperation. China stands ready to leverage the comprehensive synergy of the zero-tariff policy to work hand in hand with Nigeria and all the other African nations to jointly write a new chapter of China-Nigeria and China-Africa cooperation.

The Nigerian side spoke highly of the zero-tariff initiative, expressing willingness to further align development strategies with China, vigorously foster local manufacturing, fully unlock policy dividends, and promote the upgrading and quality enhancement of Nigeria-China practical cooperation.