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As Nigeria’s leadership seeks to strengthen ties with global powers, a distinguished Professor of Political Science is counseling restraint. Bolaji Akinyemi is cautioning President Tinubu’s administration to be mindful of the potential pitfalls in Chinese agreements, ensuring that the nation’s future is not mortgaged.
Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, a luminary in the field of political science and former helmsman of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), shared his insights on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme, offering a nuanced perspective on the nation’s diplomatic endeavors.
“Of course, we should be careful but don’t isolate the debt to China. There are also debts we owe the United States, there are also debts we owe even some of the medium-power countries,” he said.
“What we need to do is to be careful about two things: one, we shouldn’t default on that debt. A month before this African-Chinese Summit, Nigerian Sovereign Goods were being impounded all around the world at the instigation of a Chinese company.
“So, China is not going to serve us anything on global butter; we have to be careful that we fulfil our part of the bargain, not only to China but with all the other countries that we may be doing deals, it will impede on our status, our pride, our sovereign goods to be seized because we are defaulting from fulfilling our part of the agreements.”
In a bid to strengthen bilateral ties, President Tinubu traveled to China last week for a state visit, meeting with President Xi Jinping to discuss areas of mutual interest. The visit, which took place during the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Summit, resulted in the signing of several agreements aimed at deepening cooperation between Nigeria and China.
Read also: Nigeria, China Strengthen Ties As Tinubu Meets Xi Jinping
Just weeks prior to President Tinubu’s diplomatic engagement in China, a French court handed down a verdict that has sent shockwaves through Nigeria’s corridors of power.
The court’s decision to grant Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited the right to seize Nigerian presidential jets has raised questions about the nation’s international standing and the potential fallout from this development.
A decades-long dispute between Zhongshan Fucheng Industrial Investment Co. Limited and the Ogun State government has taken a dramatic turn, with a Parisian court ruling in favor of the Chinese firm.
As a result, three Nigerian presidential jets undergoing maintenance in France have been seized as “security” for the company’s claims, sparking concerns about the implications for Nigeria’s international relations.
Prof Akinyemi warned against deals between state governments and sovereign entities.
The octogenarian said, “Nigeria as a sovereign country should keep an eye on the types and contents of agreements being signed by sub-nationals. States are not entities in global systems, they are not; Nigeria is the sovereign entity.
Given its role as a signatory, Nigeria would be liable for any failures by states to fulfill their commitments under the agreements, and would likely face the repercussions of such defaults.
