Headlines
Nigeria, China sign cultural and tourism partnership
By Derrick Bangura
Nigeria and the People’s Republic of China have signed a joint Culture and Tourism Statute and established a sub-committee to boost bilateral cooperation.
During a virtual ceremony given by the Chinese Embassy in Abuja on Wednesday, representatives from both parties signed the act and inaugurated the committee.
Mr Zhang Xu, China’s Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism, said during the event that although Nigeria and China “have had strong bilateral relations in the last 50 years,” culture and tourism have played vital roles in improving ties.
The purpose of passing the legislation and forming the sub-committee, he explained, was to encourage inter-cultural collaboration and connectedness between Chinese and Nigerian people in order to advance China-Africa ties.
He stated that the formation of an inter-governmental committee with Nigeria is the first of its kind between China and Africa, and that this step demonstrates how vital and important Nigeria is to China.
“As important contributors to our strategic partnership, culture and tourism should play a larger role in increasing individuals’ connectivity for the mutual benefit of our two countries,” he said.
“The culture and tourism sub-committee, which we are forming today, has always had that mission.
“As a result, members of our ministries and sub-committees must make effective use of the platform in accordance with FOCAC’s objectives, its eight ministerial meetings, the Belt and Road Initiative, and the FOCAC Action Plan 2022-2024,” said the declaration.
He added that: “We must work together to offset the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact and the planned programmes that the sub-committee covers such as culture, tourism, publishing heritage, library, and museum.
“Our goal must always be to promote our inter-culturality, and cultural collaboration, full relationship and connectivity between China and Nigeria people in the new areas of China-Africa relations.”
Zhang advised the sub-committee to ensure the promotion of activities and events that would further boost cultural ties between both countries.
He said: “I will like to propose as follow; keep working on events like Happy Chinese New Year, Chinese and African culture in focus, resume mutual visit of artists as soon as the pandemic situation allows.
“Also, we should continue to carry out capacity building programmes in culture and tourism and support cooperation between Chinese and Nigerian cultural businesses.”
On his part, the Ambassador of China to Nigeria, Cui Jianchun said that the establishment of the Act and sub-committee on Culture and tourism is a good start to a greater future with new dynamics.
The Ambassador said that in a generation where the youth are taking the lead with great innovations, reinvigorating the culture and tourism sector will help boost both economies with mutual benefits.
According to him: “The establishment of the sub-committee on Culture and tourism is really a milestone.
“I do believe we are doing good things now because culture and tourism mean a lot to young people. We have already embarked on a new journey of mutually beneficial cooperation and we all believe that a thousand miles begin with a single step.
“The potentials of our cooperation in the fields of culture and tourism will surely be further released and a better tomorrow must belong to us.”
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Culture, Dr Ifeoma Anyawutaku, who led Nigerian team to the signing, said the potentialities in the creative sector in Nigeria were untapped and that the new cooperation would help facilitate that.
She said Nigeria will also leverage this to diversify its economy by adequately harnessing the potentials in the culture and tourism sector.
Anyawutaku said: “While taking a cursory look at the Statutes of the sub-committee on Culture and Tourism, Nigeria, as well as China have reviewed our achievements and experiences in the cultural and tourism exchanges and cooperation.
“Under the framework of the Forum on China and Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). This evaluation and experiences will help reposition the culture and tourism sector. For the development of both countries and the reinforcement of our bilateral cooperation.”
The establishment of the sub-committee and drafting of the act was an outcome of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the foreign ministers of both countries with the aim of boosting bilateral tie.
The Commissioner of Police in Osun, Mohammed Abba, has pledged collaboration with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in tackling the menace of drug Abuse in the state.
A statement by the Police Public Relation Officer, CSP Yemisi Opalaola, on Thursday in Osogbo, said that the commissioner made the pledge while playing host to NDLEA State Commandant, Adetula Lawal.
Abba expressed his readiness to further strengthen the healthy partnership between the two agencies.
The police commissioner said that the fight against drug abuse required collective efforts.
According to him, many of those committing crimes are doing so under the influence of dangerous drugs.
Abba promised to provide the necessary support to the NDLEA in the state.
The statement quoted Lawal as commending the police commissioner’s efforts in combating crime and criminality in the state.
He reiterated the agency’s collaboration with the police, as a leading security agency to tackle the menace of drug abuse and trafficking in the state.
Financial experts have raised alarm that the implementation of the 4 per cent Free-On-Board (FOB) Levy on imports would exacerbate inflation in the country.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) report that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) on Feb. 5 announced its introduction of the FOB levy on imports.
According to Abdullahi Maiwada, the spokesman of the service, the introduction of the levy was in line with the provisions of the Nigeria Customs Service Act (NCSA) 2023.
“In line with the provisions of Section 18 (1) of NCSA 2023, the NCS is implementing a 4 per cent charge on the Free On-Board (FOB) value of imports.
“The FOB charge, which is calculated based on the value of imported goods, including the cost of goods and transportation expenses incurred up to the port of loading, is essential to driving the effective operation of the service.”
However, a former Chairman, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Ogun Chapter, Dr Wale Adegbite and Evans Osabuohien, a Professor of Economics, said that the levy would worsen the nation’s inflation rate.
In separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Ota, Ogun, Adegbite and Osabuohien of the Department of Economics, Covenant University, said that the policy would negatively impact the economy.
The former MAN chairman said that the 4 per cent levy by the NCS “is a disaster and will worsen an already bad situation with multiple devastating effect on the economy.
” Why would the government inflict more hardship on the population as this new policy will certainly lead to more price increase, thus further increasing the country’s inflation rate.
“In addition, the masses will suffer more because of the impending price increase without any corresponding increase in income.”
Also, Osabuohien said that though the new FOB policy by the NCS was meant to generate more revenue for the federal government, but it would negatively impact on the economy.
He said that the NCS action would increase the cost of living of households.
The economist explained further that the development would increase the cost of operations of Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs), especially those companies that depend on imported raw materials for their production.
“This additional cost to be incurred through the 4 per cent increase in FOB would be transferred to the consumers and it would automatically trigger increase in the nation’s inflation rate,” Osabuohien said.
U.S. President Donald Trump plans to impose tariffs of 25 per cent on steel and aluminium imports into the United States, he said on Sunday.
“Any steel coming to the United States is going to have them, 25 per cent tariff,” Trump said, according to journalists travelling with the president. When questioned about tariffs on aluminium imports, Trump replied, “25 Per cent for both.”
Trump also confirmed his plan to announce further reciprocal tariffs in the coming week.
He spoke of an announcement on Tuesday or Wednesday.
“Very simply, if they charge us, we charge them, Trump told reporters, adding that the tariffs would go into effect almost immediately.”
U.S. tariffs of 10 per cent on Chinese goods took effect from Feb. 4.
The planned tariffs of 25 per cent on Mexico and Canada were suspended for an initial period of 30 days following promises from the two countries to increase border security measures.
Trump won November’s presidential election promising to slap high tariffs on foreign goods to reduce U.S. trade deficits.
He implemented a number of duties during his first term from 2017 to 2021.
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