By Hammeed Mamman Bello, PhD
Beyond the common notion of millennium representing a period of time consisting of one thousand years, the nomenclature also depicts a period of universal happiness, peace or prosperity. An argument may subsist that any pursuit of such a universal social perfection could be utopian, in other words ideal but impractical. However, conscious efforts by countries of the world to bridge the gap of division and build bridges of connection for a united and prosperous global community can be the magic wand that will break the barrier of bilateral and multilateral isolation.
In this regard, a peculiar type of multilateral cooperation is seen playing out between China and countries in Africa under the auspices of the Forum for China-Africa Cooperation, FOCAC and the Belt and Road Initiative, BRI both of which apparently target infrastructure connection and opening up, and trade and cultural exchanges among others.
Should these millennium exchanges proceed between China and Africa without impediments or setbacks, we are likely to see a win-win for both. The technical manpower of China, coupled with the political will of the ruling Comminist Party of China will greatly enhance the infrastructure penetration of African countries to link up for broader South-South cooperation and herald improved trade relations. Conversely, countries in Africa will have social and economic access to Asia for improved trade, agriculture and cultural exchanges.
In specific terms, a recent article by the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency, YU Dunhai, titled, “Expand High-level Opening-up and Inject New Impetus into China-Nigeria Cooperation” noted that China and Nigeria enjoy a long history of friendship and have been supporting each other in pursuing national development and rejuvenation. As noted by Ambassador Dunhai, the strategic decisions to deepen reform comprehensively to advance Chinese modernization made at the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee will bring more opportunities to all countries in the world including Nigeria.
According to Dunhai, the new summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) is billed to hold in Beijing this September, and President Tinubu will pay a state visit to China and attend the summit. “We would like to take President Tinubu’s visit as an opportunity to deepen experience sharing on governance and to synergize our development strategies under the frameworks of the FOCAC and BRI. We will deepen our cooperation in such areas as industry, agriculture, infrastructure, financing, poverty reduction, technological innovation, digital development and blue economy, and work to boost investment and employment in Nigeria, so as to further enhance the sense of fulfillment, happiness and security of our two peoples,” the Ambassador said.
Overall, China-Africa infrastructure cooperation is a potential window to create new opportunities for Africa’s development in the areas of railway, ports, industrial parks, power stations and even in aviation.
As reported by the August 26 edition of the Xinhua News Agency, infrastructure cooperation between China and Africa is thriving, and the outcome is changing the lives of millions. This positive outcome needs to be sustained.
Xinhua also recalled that industrial leaders and officials observed that the infrastructure projects undertaken by Chinese companies have yielded tangible benefits for Africans, helping the continent enhance its connectivity, improve conditions for economic and social development, advance its industrialization, modernization and integration, and forge new pathways for future growth.
“To get rich, build roads first.” The popular Chinese proverb rings true in Africa, Xinhua noted. Drawing on its own development experience, China has been dedicated to working with Africa to build transport facilities crucial for economic development. According to the white paper, “China and Africa in the New Era: A Partnership of Equals,” Chinese companies over the last quarter century have helped African countries build or upgrade more than 10,000 km of railways, nearly 100,000 km of highways, roughly 1,000 bridges, almost 100 ports and 66,000 km of power transmission and distribution.
Also, Chinese companies have helped build an installed power-generating capacity of 120 million kW, a communications backbone network of 150,000 km and a network service covering nearly 700 million user terminals. In Kenya, the Chinese-funded Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway has drastically reduced travel time and emerged as the preferred choice for commuters, playing a pivotal role in reducing logistics costs, stimulating commerce and empowering smaller towns along its corridor. In Nigeria, the Abuja light rail, built by a Chinese company, has been revived to potentially ease transportation along the Airport corridor. Nigerian President Bola Tinubu had described the light rail’s operation as the “fruit of collaboration, dedication, progress, and foresightedness.”
China-Africa cooperation could bolster Africa’s green development, with China’s role in constructing several clean energy projects in some African countries. For instance, the De Aar Wind Farm has changed South Africa’s energy landscape. As the first wind power project financed, constructed and operated by a Chinese company in Africa, it supplies 760 million kilowatt-hours of clean electricity annually, meeting the electricity needs of 300,000 households. The farm has contributed to closing the gap caused by unstable clean energy and addressing the electricity shortage in South Africa.
In Kenya, the 55 megawatt Garissa Solar Power Plant, financed and constructed by Chinese firms, generates over 76 million kilowatt-hours annually, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by about 64,000 tons annually. Kenya has moved closer to achieving its clean energy transition goals with the power plant, said Moses Masika Wetangula, Speaker of Kenya’s National Assembly. China has been a dependable partner to Kenya, Wetangula said, noting that China’s support has been crucial to Africa’s development.
Various industrial zones were built and are operated by Chinese enterprises, such as the Sino-Uganda Mbale Industrial Park in Uganda, the Diamniadio International Industrial Platform in Senegal, the Lekki Free Trade Zone in Nigeria, and the China-Egypt TEDA Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone in Egypt. Through these zones, countries can participate more effectively in the global production chain and promote the internationalization of local brands. David Bahati, Uganda’s minister of state for trade, industry and cooperatives, reportedly said that China has been providing capital and sharing skills and technology to help drive industrialization in his country.
“The development of the Sino-Uganda Mbale Industrial Park is doing wonders. We have seen the foreign direct investment coming through the industrial park, helping us in terms of import substitution. Most of the things we were importing, such as televisions and clothes, are all being produced at the park,” said Bahati.
Modern port cooperation between China and Africa is also developing rapidly. A good example is the Kribi Deep Sea Port, built by China Harbor Engineering Company Ltd. (CHEC) in Cameroon’s southern town of Kribi. The new seaport, strategically positioned in the center of the Gulf of Guinea, has stimulated the country’s economy and has become a regional hub for the African Atlantic coast. “With the coming of the Kribi port, Cameroon has once again placed herself as the port of entry to the sub-region. This (port) has added more value to certain industrial projects in Chad, the Central African Republic and Congo,” said Alain Patrick Mpila Ayissi, manager of the Land Development and Environment Department of the Port Authority of Kribi. In 2023, Tanzania’s first modern fishing harbor, Kilwa Harbor, also constructed by CHEC, was launched. As a flagship project under the Tanzanian government’s third five-year plan, it is expected to become an engine for economic growth. The Kribi Deep Sea Port has played a crucial role in bolstering infrastructure development, employment, trade and investment in Cameroon, said Raymond Tavares, a representative in Cameroon and Central Africa of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization. Infrastructure development is the cornerstone of Africa’s development, and improving the state of infrastructure is critical for African council. Cooperation between China and Africa in the new era provides a path to mutual development, creating a stronger foundation for a closer China-Africa community with a shared future.
Elsewhere, at a symposium held on July 31 in Kenya to foster China-Africa cooperation and drive modernization, branded as the Hong Ting Forum, with the theme “China and Africa Join Hands Together to Modernization,” there was a consensus that both Africa and China have a shared aspiration to prosper and modernize by leveraging partnerships and mutual learning.
The symposium was convened by Xinhua News Agency Africa Regional Bureau to discuss innovative ways to strengthen Sino-African cooperation across diverse sectors and achieve renewal.
Cavince Adhere, a Nairobi-based international relations scholar, was noted to have observed that a fruitful Sino-African cooperation will form the foundation for fostering economic modernization, creating jobs and spreading prosperity evenly.
While acknowledging China’s huge footprint in African economies, Adhere called for enhanced cooperation in digital inclusion, green transition, technology transfer, health, agriculture and security to achieve mutual benefits.
Dr Hammeed is the Chief Operating Officer/Editor-in-Chief, Peoples Media Limited, Abuja.
