China’s imports from Nigeria hit $2.3bn in six months, up 80%

China imported goods worth nearly $2.3 billion from Nigeria in the first half of 2026, representing an almost 80 per cent increase compared with the corresponding period in 2025, Zhou Hongyou, Chargé d’Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, has disclosed.

Zhou said the increase was part of an expansion in economic relations between Nigeria and China, with total bilateral trade between both countries rising to $18 billion during the period under review.

He disclosed this on Thursday at the Nigeria-China Food Festival held at the China Cultural Centre in Abuja, where he called for stronger economic, cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

According to him, the 75 per cent year-on-year growth in bilateral trade underscored the increasing depth of the relationship between Africa’s most populous country and the world’s second-largest economy.

He said Nigeria could take greater advantage of China’s zero-tariff policy for African countries that maintain diplomatic relations with Beijing to expand the volume and value of its exports to the Chinese market.

“This is a great chance for Nigeria to expand exports to China,” Zhou said.

The diplomat, however, noted that the growing economic relationship should be complemented by stronger cultural and people-to-people exchanges, arguing that deeper understanding between the citizens of both countries would provide a stronger foundation for bilateral relations.

He described the food festival as more than a gathering centred on cuisine, saying it provided an avenue for Nigerians and Chinese to learn about each other’s history, traditions and ways of life.

“Today we are bringing Chinese and Nigerian cuisines together. It is not just a feast for our taste buds, but it is also a conversation and a meeting of all cultures,” he said.

Zhou noted that 2026 marked the 55th anniversary of the establishment of formal diplomatic relations between Nigeria and China, adding that the relationship had evolved significantly since 1971.

He said cooperation between the two countries had expanded beyond traditional diplomatic engagement to include trade, education, culture, technology and people-to-people exchanges.

He urged both countries to deepen cooperation in education, the arts, schools and youth affairs to ensure that the longstanding friendship between Nigeria and China was sustained among younger generations.

“Through deeper exchanges in education, culture, the arts, schools, and youth affairs, China and Nigeria can strengthen people-to-people connections and pass on friendship to the next generation,” he said.

Speaking on behalf of Hannatu Musawa, Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Abdulkarim  Ibrahim, Permanent Secretary in the ministry, said the festival demonstrated the economic value of Nigeria’s culinary heritage and its potential to contribute to tourism development.

Musawa described food as a critical component of cultural identity, noting that it could simultaneously preserve heritage, generate employment, attract tourists and create opportunities for businesses along the hospitality and agricultural value chains.

“Food does not merely nourish the body. It tells stories, preserves heritage, creates livelihood, and brings people together,” she said.

She also said the Federal Government had identified food and beverages as the largest subsector of Nigeria’s tourism economy, making gastronomy an increasingly important component of the country’s domestic and international tourism strategy.

“Gastronomy is tourism. Nigeria’s recent tourism and creative industry market has identified food and beverages as the single largest subsector of Nigeria’s tourism economy,” Musawa said.

Musawa said the government was working to strengthen the creative economy through policy and financing frameworks, stakeholder engagement and institutional reforms aimed at promoting tourism, attracting investment and creating sustainable opportunities for young Nigerians.

She urged Nigeria and China to explore greater cooperation in gastronomy, tourism, hospitality, culinary education and creative entrepreneurship.

“Let us use food to open new doors of cooperation in gastronomy, tourism, hospitality, cultural exchanges, culinary education, and creative entrepreneurship,” she said.

Aare Fagade, Director-General of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism, NIHOTOUR, said the festival demonstrated the link between food, culture and economic development.

Fagade said the theme of the festival, “From Farm to Feast,” captured the entire culinary value chain, from farmers and food producers to chefs, hospitality businesses and consumers.

“Today’s celebration is about food, but it’s also about culture, friendship, and opportunity,” he said.

He said Nigeria had a rich and diverse culinary heritage that could support a globally competitive food tourism industry if properly developed, standardised and commercialised.

According to him, Nigerian cuisine should be transformed into a structured tourism product capable of attracting international visitors and creating income for farmers, food processors, chefs, restaurants, hotels and other players across the hospitality sector.

“Our task is to package, standardise, promote, and commercialise this heritage while preserving the authenticity,” Fagade said.

He stressed that the commercialisation of indigenous cuisine should not undermine its cultural identity, but should instead create a balance between preserving traditional practices and developing them into commercially viable tourism products.

Kaltume Gana, Director-General and Artistic Director/CEO of the National Troupe of Nigeria, said cultural collaboration between Nigeria and China could further deepen mutual understanding and respect between the peoples of both countries.

She cited the joint performance by Nigerian and Chinese artistes at the festival as an example of how cultural diplomacy could strengthen bilateral relations.

The performance combined traditional Nigerian drums with Chinese percussion instruments, creating a fusion of the two countries’ artistic traditions.

“For the first time, the National Troupe has come into this partnership where there is a joint performance of the National Troupe of Nigeria performing with the Chinese percussions and our own indigenous drums,” Gana said.

She expressed optimism that the partnership would expand beyond the festival to include reciprocal cultural performances and exchanges, particularly opportunities for Nigerian artistes to showcase their talents in China.

According to her, sustained cultural exchanges would provide Nigerian and Chinese artistes with opportunities to learn from one another while promoting the cultural identities of both countries internationally.

Munzali Dantata, Former Director-General of The National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism (NIHOTOUR),  also called for stronger Nigeria-China cooperation, particularly in education and cultural exchanges.

Dantata, who recalled studying in Beijing about four decades ago, said his experience had enabled him to witness the transformation of China over several decades.

He attributed the country’s development to sustained investment in education, human capital and long-term development programmes, urging Nigeria to strengthen similar areas of cooperation with China.

“See how, within 30 years, the country has changed,” he said.

He said increased educational and cultural exchanges could provide Nigerians, particularly young people, with opportunities to acquire skills, broaden their perspectives and deepen understanding of China’s development experience.

The festival featured 14 Chinese dishes drawn from seven regions of China, alongside a wide variety of traditional Nigerian cuisines representing the country’s six geopolitical zones.

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