By Nkechi Eze
Efforts to broaden and strengthen defence cooperation between Nigeria and China gained renewed momentum on Thursday as the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Yu Dunhai, paid a courtesy visit to the Commandant of the National Defence College (NDC), Rear Admiral A. Ahmed, in Abuja. The visit formed part of ongoing diplomatic engagements aimed at consolidating the growing strategic relationship between both countries, particularly in the aftermath of recent high-level bilateral exchanges.
Ambassador Yu was accompanied by Senior Colonel Ouyang Haisheng, the Defence Attaché of the Chinese Embassy, underscoring the importance Beijing places on deepening security and defence ties with Abuja. Discussions during the meeting focused on advancing the defence component of the newly elevated partnership between both nations, following the upgrade of China–Nigeria relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Ambassador Yu recalled that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s state visit to China in September 2024, along with his participation in the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), marked a defining moment in bilateral relations. He noted that the upgrade of the partnership signified a commitment by both nations to pursue broader cooperation in security, trade, infrastructure, technology, education, and human capital development.
According to him, the defence and security sector occupies a central place in the new framework of cooperation. The Ambassador reaffirmed China’s readiness to intensify joint efforts with Nigeria in areas such as counter-terrorism operations, intelligence sharing, maritime security, defence technology, and overall security capacity building. He added that China is committed to expanding training and academic exchange programmes with the National Defence College, noting that such initiatives would further support Nigeria’s national security architecture and enhance professional development for senior military officers.
In his remarks, Rear Admiral Ahmed commended China’s long-standing support for Nigeria’s development and its consistent engagement with the Nigerian Armed Forces. He observed that military cooperation between both countries has deepened over the years, especially in training, strategic studies, and institutional collaboration. The Commandant expressed optimism that renewed engagements with Chinese defence institutions including the National Defense University of the People’s Liberation Army would further enrich the College’s curriculum, strengthen research output, and broaden its network of global military partnerships.
Rear Admiral Ahmed added that the National Defence College remains open to meaningful collaborations that will strengthen Nigeria’s strategic capacity and contribute to regional and global security. He noted that the College’s partnership with China aligns with its mandate of grooming strategic leaders equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to address complex security challenges.
The visit ended with both parties expressing mutual commitment to sustaining high-level engagements as part of efforts to build a more robust and future-oriented defence partnership between Nigeria and China.
