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.