President Bola Tinubu has named Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe as the Director-General and Global Liaison for the Nigeria-China strategic partnership.
This appointment comes after both nations agreed to form hospital alliances and cooperate on medical research.
The announcement was made in a statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President (Information and Strategy), on Sunday.
According to the release, Tegbe, a first-class civil engineering graduate from Obafemi Awolowo University in 1988, will report directly to the President.
He is also a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA) and the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria.
Onanuga stated that Tegbe will promptly present a strategic action plan to ensure Nigeria gains from the agreements made with China in Beijing.
“As head of the strategic partnership, he will oversee daily operations, maintain constant communication with Chinese counterparts, and ensure that all objectives are achieved and aligned with national development goals,” he added.
At the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), President Xi Jinping committed 360 billion yuan (approximately $51 billion) in new funding to African countries over the next three years.
Prior to the FOCAC, during his official visit, President Tinubu also secured a pledge from President Xi to assist Nigeria with its economic diversification efforts, infrastructure development, technology transfer, and job creation.
