Nigeria and China have signed a grant agreement worth approximately $30 million to support small scale development projects designed around the needs of local communities.
The agreement, valued at 200 million Chinese yuan, was presented under the two countries’ development cooperation framework. Budget and Economic Planning Minister Abubakar Atiku Bagudu said the funding would support targeted interventions with practical benefits for livelihoods and local economic activity.
Bagudu said federal authorities and the Nigeria China Strategic Partnership Office had been reviewing proposals submitted by state governments. He linked the effort to a ward level development programme intended to identify economic opportunities and strengthen inclusive growth.
Chinese Ambassador Yu Dunhai said Beijing wanted to deepen investment and trade cooperation. He reported bilateral trade of $18 billion in the first half of 2026 and said Nigeria’s exports to China had increased substantially. He also urged work on a more durable trade framework before the stated expiry of a preferential tariff arrangement in 2028.
Permanent Secretary Deborah Odoh welcomed the agreement and pledged attention to implementation. The exact grant terms, eligible projects, procurement arrangements, disbursement timetable and trade figures should be confirmed through the signed documents and official statistics.
