President Muhammadu Buhari pledged on Friday in Johannesburg, South Africa that his administration will take necessary actions to correct lapses which have hindered the implementation of agreements signed with China under past administrations for the development of rail transportation in Nigeria.
Speaking at bilateral talks with President Xi Jinping at the Forum of China-Africa Cooperation, Buhari said the Federal Government will strive to fulfil Nigeria’s obligations under the agreements as their implementation will help to boost the country’s economy and generate thousands of new jobs.
“I have looked into the previous agreements and we will now keep our part of the bargain,” President Buhari assured President Jinping.
The President applauded China’s ongoing support for the development of Nigeria’s agricultural sector, noting that Chinese advisers deployed to some states of the federation were helping to train farmers on water conservation and the use of more productive seeds.
President Jinping described Nigeria as a very important ally of China in Africa.
He said the two countries needed to boost their bilateral relations for the good of their citizens.
He said China was keen to work with Nigeria for the mutual benefit of both countries.
At the opening session of the summit attended by President Buhari and more than 30 other African leaders, the Chinese President had pledged $60 billion of new development aid to African countries.
Buhari to Chinese leader: We’ll correct lapses hindering implementation of rail development agreements
Nigeria's former military ruler and opposition party All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate Muhammadu Buhari meets with U.S Secretary of State John Kerry at the U.S. consulate house in Lagos, Nigeria, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2015. In a rare high-level visit to Africa's most populous country, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday urged Nigeria's leading presidential candidates to refrain from fomenting violence after next month's vote, and he condemned savage attacks by Boko Haram, an al-Qaida-linked insurgency. (AP Photo/Akintunde Akinleye, Pool)
