Zhou Pingjan

China and Nigeria have gained new drivers for commondevelopment as Africa’s largest economy formally joinedthe Belt and Road Initiative （BRI） in 2018. Bilateral cooperation willenjoy broad prospects under the BRI， which will further the alreadyclose bilateral economic relations.

China customs data show that China-Nigeria trade volumehit USD15.3 billion in 2018， up 10.8% year-on-year， with Nigeriaremaining as China's third largest trade partner in Africa.

China will actively promote intemational cooperation throughBRI to achieve policy， infrastructure， trade， financial and people-to-people connectivity.

China and Nigeria scored fruitful and pronunent achievementsin infrastructure in the past year， such as the comnussioning ofAbujaLight Railway， which is the first operating light railway in WestAfrica， and two new airport terminals. Ongoing projects include alarge hydropower plant， a rail line and a deep seaport.

China-Nigeria relations are now at their best in history， notingthat the BRI would elevate the strategic partnership between the twocountries to a new level.

Nigeria joined the BRI together with 27 0ther African countriesat the 2018 Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-AfricaCooperation held in September， increasing the number of BRI’sAfrican member countries t0 37.