The Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) recently adopted the Recommendations for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan, charting China’s development priorities for the next five years and advancing its goal of socialist modernization.
Since launching its first five-year plan in 1953, China has completed 14 consecutive plans, transforming from an impoverished agricultural nation into the world’s largest manufacturing hub and the second-largest economy. The 14th Five-Year Plan period has seen China reach new economic milestones, with its total economic output projected at around 140 trillion yuan ($19.6 trillion) in 2025, contributing about 30% annually to global growth.
The 15th Five-Year Plan sets out seven overarching goals: achieving high-quality development, boosting scientific and technological self-reliance, deepening reforms, improving social civility, raising living standards, advancing environmental sustainability, and strengthening national security. Twelve strategic tasks, including building a modern industrial system, expanding the domestic market, and increasing global engagement, are also highlighted.
During this period, China-Nigeria relations have grown significantly. Nigeria remains China’s largest engineering contract market, second-largest export market and trading partner in Africa, and a major investment destination. Bilateral trade reached a record USD 22.5 billion in 2023, with imports from Nigeria rising 25.8% to USD 2.99 billion in 2024. From January to September 2025, trade grew 32.6% year-on-year to USD 20 billion.
Last September, during the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), President Xi Jinping and President Tinubu elevated the bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, opening new avenues for collaboration.
Looking ahead, China’s push for high-quality development and its “Belt and Road” initiative offer Nigeria new opportunities in infrastructure, industrial upgrades, digital technology, agricultural modernization, education, and cultural exchange. The upcoming 55th anniversary of China-Nigeria diplomatic relations in 2026 and the Year of People-to-People and Cultural Exchanges between China and Africa are expected to further deepen practical cooperation.
Ms. Yan Yuqing, Chinese Consul-General in Lagos, emphasised that Nigeria, as Africa’s most populous country and a major economy, holds significant potential. She said China and Nigeria share common aspirations and will jointly advance cooperation to benefit the people of both nations and strengthen the China-Africa partnership for global peace and development.
