Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has called for swift implementation of the Nigeria-China Aquatic Products Protocol, urging that the landmark agreement be translated into higher exports, foreign exchange earnings, and stronger opportunities for Nigerian businesses.
The minister stated this when he received the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency Yu Dunhai, in his office during the signing of the Nigeria-China Aquatic Protocol.
Speaking, the minister thanked the envoy for his continued support for the Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership (NCSP) in promoting Nigeria-China trade and business relations, which has culminated in a trade volume of $18 billion for the first half of 2026, compared to $28 billion for the entire year 2025.
According to Tegbe, the Protocol’s success would help fast-track other initiatives, including the Zero Tariff Agreement for African countries, while urging Nigerian exporters to move quickly to seize the opportunity.
In his response, Ambassador Yu reaffirmed the Embassy’s commitment to supporting implementation and facilitating qualified Nigerian exports into the Chinese market, describing the minister’s appointment as a testament to his leadership, vision and pragmatism.
He cited a 35% rise in bilateral trade and an 80% increase in Nigerian exports in H1 2026 as evidence of untapped potential for cooperation with Nigeria and assured the minister of the Chinese government’s support as Nigeria seeks to modernise and expand its power system.
The Comptroller General of the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), Dr Vincent Isegbe, who was also in attendance at the event, reiterated the Service’s commitment to compliance support and flagged potential for similar market-access deals in other agricultural and fishery products, noting that world aquatic products demand could double Nigeria’s exports to China if properly leveraged.
The Protocol, concluded after nearly five years of negotiation, grants eligible Nigerian aquatic products zero-tariff access to China’s 1.4 billion consumer market.
The Embassy’s Chief of Political Section and the Deputy Director of the Economic and Commercial Section, Zhu Songbo, was also part of the delegation.