Eased policy a boost to trade with Nigeria

Nigerian business leaders have welcomed China's optimization of COVID-19 control policies that allow inbound visitors to enter the country without quarantine, saying it will boost trade between the two nations.

Bayo Adeleke, secretary of the Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria and chief executive officer of investment firm Lancelot Ventures, said China's latest policy for international travelers is "heartwarming news" for Nigerian-Chinese trade.

Due to interruptions in travel caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, trade between Nigeria and China has been affected over the past three years, and has had an impact on the Nigerian economy, he said.

China lifting mandatory quarantine requirements for all inbound visitors "would facilitate Nigeria's economic growth and increase bilateral relations between the two nations", he said.

Muda Yusuf, CEO of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise in Lagos, described the new policy as a welcomed one that is likely to further boost the economies of African countries such as Nigeria.

"Business is about connectivity and communication. Though the internet has made virtual communication easier, there is a level of business you cannot consummate online. Therefore the decision is good for business and for our economy," Yusuf said.

"Without a doubt, we are likely to see an increase in velocity in economic transactions between Nigeria and China."

Positive movement

Yusuf expects to see more positive movement in the global supply chain because of China's strategic role in the global economy.

"The reopening of factories across China is a very good thing as a lot of businesses across the world depend on Chinese manufacturers as suppliers of either finished products or parts," he said.

In his New Year message to Nigerians, Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria Cui Jianchun warned against what he described as a "political virus "that might be deployed by certain countries against China.

"Compared with the natural virus, what we should be much more vigilant on is the political virus," he said.

"Political manipulation of COVID-19 response measures by a few countries would only bring chaos to the world's solidarity. In this regard, we highly commend the federal government of Nigeria for its science-based and proportionate COVID-19 response measures, which have featured from the very beginning of its response."

Hans Kluge, the World Health Organization's regional director for Europe, has urged countries to take science-based precautionary COVID-19 entry restrictions that are proportionate and non-discriminatory.

"For those countries in our region introducing precautionary travel measures at this time, we are calling for such to be rooted in science, to be proportionate and non-discriminatory," Kluge said.

Xinhua contributed to this story.