China and Nigeria have renewed their commitment to deepening trade and economic cooperation as bilateral trade between both nations reached $20 billion between January and September 2025, according to data from China Customs.

The reaffirmation came during the opening of the 2025 China Commodities Expo-Nigeria, held on Wednesday at the Landmark Event Centre, Lagos, and organised by the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China. The three-day event runs until Friday, November 7.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Chinese Consul General in Lagos, Yan Yuqing, described the Expo as “a microcosm of China-Nigeria economic and trade cooperation” and “an important platform for sharing development opportunities.”

Yuqing said the exhibition would serve as a bridge to boost confidence in bilateral cooperation, adding that China is committed to “extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefits.”

She highlighted that China remains Africa’s largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years, with total trade between China and Africa reaching $280 billion in 2024, a 6.1 per cent increase from the previous year. Nigeria, she noted, accounted for $21.9 billion of that total.

Yuqing also referenced China’s 15th Five-Year Plan, adopted at the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, which aims to expand market access, enhance the business environment, and elevate the Belt and Road Initiative.

“China is willing to share the dividends of development with Nigeria, deepen cooperation in the digital economy, green energy, and infrastructure, and support the African Continental Free Trade Area,” she said.

She cited major Chinese-backed projects in Nigeria including the Lagos-Ibadan Railway, Lagos Light Rail, and Lekki Deep Sea Port as examples of people-focused collaboration fueling Nigeria’s economic growth.

Highlighting areas for future cooperation, Yuqing said China aims to align industrial capacities, promote new energy and ecological agriculture projects, and strengthen cultural and educational exchanges to solidify public support for bilateral relations.

In his remarks, Wang Deyang, Deputy Director of the Trade Development Bureau of China’s Ministry of Commerce, said the $20bn trade volume between both countries represents a 32.6 per cent year-on-year increase, underscoring the vitality of China-Nigeria relations.

He pledged China’s readiness to deepen economic ties, saying, “We hope this exhibition will bring more business opportunities to enterprises of both countries.”

Declaring the Expo open, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by the Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade, and Investment, Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, said the exhibition reinforces Lagos’s position as Africa’s leading trade and logistics hub.

“The China Commodities Expo is more than a trade show; it is a platform that deepens the economic partnership between Nigeria and China a relationship already valued at nearly $24 billion in bilateral trade and growing steadily,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu praised the participation of over 250 Chinese manufacturers and 5,000 business delegates across industries such as automobiles, renewable energy, textiles, and agriculture, calling it a testament to the growing economic synergy between both nations.

He urged Nigerian entrepreneurs to seize opportunities for technology transfer, industrial collaboration, and global competitiveness, aligning with Lagos’s THEMES+ development agenda.

“Together, through this Expo, we are building bridges not just for trade, but for sustained collaboration that empowers entrepreneurs, enriches our workforce, and drives sustainable growth,” the governor concluded.

The Expo is expected to strengthen investment, innovation, and industrial partnerships, further consolidating China-Nigeria relations as a cornerstone of South-South cooperation.