Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) – Diplomatic ties between the world most populous nation, China, and Africa’s largest black nation, Nigeria, entered the next level with the Asian country granting visa waivers to Nigerian diplomats and senior government officials.
The privately-owned GUARDIAN newspaper on Sunday quoted the outgoing Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Deng Boqing, as having indicated this.
“We have decided to offer visa exemption for Nigerian diplomats and senior government officials in a first phase. In the future, we will also be working with the Nigerian government to simplify other citizens’ visa application process,” the Chinese Envoy said at the Nigeria-China Business Roundtable and Luncheon in the commercial city of Lagos.
The new visa policy will take effect from 1 February, 2014, he said, adding that the decision was based on an agreement reached recently between President Goodluck Jonathan, and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping.
Sino-Nigerian diplomatic relations in recent years have witnessed tremendous upsurge as Nigeria has become Chin’s most important trade partner in Africa.
Several construction work in transportation, communications, roads, railway, airports, power plants and agro-allied projects are being carried out by Chinese contractors.
