Photo:VCG

Nigeria, one of Africa's largest economies, is making its debut at the China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) with an independent booth for the first time, a Nigerian trade official told the Global Times.

The 2024 CIFTIS is the first large-scale international, comprehensive exhibition held after the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. It highlights China's commitment to further opening up to the world and its readiness to share the benefits of its economic growth.

The event saw enthusiastic participation from countries across the globe, with Nigeria, Portugal, and France among 13 nations and international organizations setting up an independent booth at CIFTIS for the first time.

"This is the first time Nigeria is participating in CIFTIS. We expect to showcase Nigeria's services sector to the world using the CIFTIS platform. At this time, our expectation is to see that the relationship between Nigeria and China to remain cordial and continue improving," Ibrahim Akopari Ahmed, a trade commissioner from the Nigeria Regional Investment and Trade Office (Asia), told the Global Times on Friday.

"Nigeria is one of the largest economies in Africa and the services sector is the highest contributor to GDP, accounting for more than 50 percent of our GDP. So, Nigeria has a well-developed services sector, especially in entertainment such as Nollywood [the Nigerian film industry]. In this, we are No.1 in Africa," Ahmed said.

At the booth, several Nigerian companies are showcasing musical instruments and telecommunication services, highlighting the country's growing presence in the tech sector.

"We are trying to showcase to the Chinese business community that we can benefit one another on a win-win situation," said the trade commissioner.

The booth was set up at the China National Convention Center in Beijing, which recently hosted the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

"We expect that the FOCAC and the CIFTIS will contribute to enhancing and improving the trading relationship between China and Nigeria and to see that our services sector is also well exposed to Chinese business community," Ahmed said.

"Maybe next time, we will set up a silver screen at our booth [to showcase our cinema industry]," Ahmed said.

On Wednesday, China's General Administration of Customs announced import permit for Nigerian peanuts for processing, further expanding the scope of bilateral trade. Nigeria is China's third-largest trading partner in Africa and one of major investment destinations in Africa. In 2023, bilateral trade reached $22.56 billion, according to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.