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Obi tasks Mbata’s Ohanaeze leadership to work for a united Nigeria

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The leader of the opposition Labour Party and the 2023 Presidential flag bearer, Peter Obi, has admonished the newly elected leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide led by Senator John Azuta Mbata to work towards peace and unity of the nation.

Writing on his X handle in a congratulatory message to the Executive, Obi urged the new Executive to leverage their position, which shows the people’s confidence in them to strengthen the Igbo family and unite the country.

“On behalf of my family and the Obedient movement, I congratulate the Newly Elected President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Senator John Azuta-Mbata; the Deputy President General, Prince Okey Nwadinobi; the Secretary-General, Emeka Sibeudu, and other newly elected executive members, on their emergence as the leaders of the noble organization.

“Their emergence as the leaders of Ohaneze Ndigbo, the umbrella body that unites the Igbo people, underscores the level of confidence and hope the people have in their leadership ability and their commitment to the development of the region and the nation in general.

“I pray that they will leverage their new offices to continue to work for the peace and unity of our nation and contribute immeasurably to ideas that will drive development, peace, and progress among the people.

“May God give you all, the wisdom and strength to serve the people.
A New Nigeria remains Possible.

China kick starts 2025 with warm diplomacy to build community with shared future with the world

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As the new year began, a train loaded with fresh fruits and vegetables set off from China’s Yunnan province to the capital of Laos, Vientiane; in many Chinese supermarkets, Lao bananas imported by cold-chain trains via the China-Laos Railway are sold, enriching consumers’ choices.

The China-Laos Railway is becoming a “golden corridor” promoting the common development of China and its neighboring countries, ushering in bright prospects for building a community with a shared future for mankind.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said in his 2025 New Year message that China will work with all countries to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

China is not only an advocate for but also a contributor to building a community with a shared future for mankind. It has contributed its strength to peaceful development and promoted global governance reform with firm conviction and solid actions, demonstrating its courage and responsibility to advance human progress and world harmony.

Facing the changes of the times and the questions raised by history, the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind unequivocally champions global solidarity, open-mindedness and win-win cooperation.

It replaces conflicts and confrontation with peaceful development, absolute security with common security, and zero-sum game with mutual benefits and win-win results, prevents cultural clashes through cultural exchanges, and champions green development to protect the planet we call home, pushing state-to-state relations from the pursuit of peaceful coexistence to that of a future shared by all.

On the road to the wellbeing of all mankind, no country or nation should be left behind. China always helps others to succeed while seeking its own success with a global vision. It follows a path of peaceful, open, cooperative and win-win development, providing new opportunities for global development with new accomplishments in Chinese modernization.

Xi once said, “We Chinese not only aspire for good living for ourselves, but also hope people in other parts of the world lead a decent life.” And China is proving this with concrete actions.

The China-Europe freight trains have made over 100,000 trips. The Chinese-built Chancay port in Peru has witnessed the emergence of a new land-sea corridor between Asia and Latin America in the new era. A total of 155 countries have joined Belt and Road cooperation, paving the “road of happiness” wider.

China has hosted the China International Import Expo for seven consecutive years, continuously opening its market to countries around the world. It announced eight actions for global development to march toward modernization with other developing countries.

“Together, we can make 2025 a new beginning. Not as a world divided. But as nations united,” said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in his message for the New Year.

China unswervingly follows the path of peaceful development and calls for an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization.

It has unveiled eight measures in support of Global South cooperation, encouraging Global South countries to be the staunch force for peace, the core driving force for open development, the construction team of global governance, and the advocates for exchange among civilizations. China has made a strong voice for the development and vitalization of the Global South, and injected positive energy into improving the global governance system.

In the face of frequent geopolitical conflicts, China is actively working to restore peace in hotspots, upholding an objective and impartial stance, and actively advocating for peace and dialogue.

Building a community with a shared future for mankind has evolved from a proposal to a consensus, from a vision to a practice, becoming a significant force driving positive and profound changes in the world today.

Over the past year, China has agreed with Serbia to build a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era, elevated the overall characterization of China-Africa relations to an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era, and elevated China-Brazil ties to a community with a shared future for a more just world and a more sustainable planet.

So far, communities with a shared future of varying forms have been built between China and dozens of countries and regions.

Multilateral cooperation such as a global community of health for all, a community with a shared future in cyberspace and a global community of shared development has been advancing. The vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind has been incorporated into UN General Assembly resolutions and multilateral documents for multiple times, increasingly becoming the most important public good with major global significance, and moving the world to a bright future of peace, security, prosperity and progress.

A just cause should be pursued for the common good. Building a community with a shared future for mankind is a noble goal that requires generations of efforts. Looking at the past and future at this critical moment in history, we believe our efforts to create a better world will not cease.

China will continue to work with all parties in solidarity and cooperation, to write a new chapter in building a community with a shared future for mankind, and together, to create a better future for the world.

BRNN

Chinese FM calls on China, Nigeria to firmly support each other

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“China and Nigeria should continue to firmly support each other on issues related to their core concerns and always be good brothers of mutual trust to inject impetus and confidence into the high-quality development of China-Africa cooperation and Africa’s modernization”, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Thursday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks at a press conference after meeting with Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar in Abuja.

Under the strategic guidance of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the development of China-Nigeria relations has achieved three outstanding achievements, Wang said.

First, the positioning of the relationship has achieved a new leap with the two heads of state jointly announcing that China-Nigeria relations have been upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership, he said. Second, a new platform has been established through solidarity and collaboration. The first plenary session of the China-Nigeria Intergovernmental Committee was held successfully, which promoted the upgrading and coordinated progress of China-Nigeria cooperation, Wang said.

Third, international cooperation has reached a new height. The two sides coordinate closely on international and regional affairs and work together to promote the collective rise, development and revitalization of the Global South. Wang said that over the past half-century since the establishment of diplomatic relations, regardless of changes in the international situation, China and Nigeria have always been deepening friendly and practical cooperation based on mutual respect and equality, becoming a successful example of South-South cooperation and an important benchmark for China-Africa cooperation.Both sides should maintain the “strategic nature” of China-Nigeria relations under the guidance of the two countries’ leaders, Wang said.

The two countries should highlight the “exemplary nature” of China-Nigeria relations by continuing to “take the lead,” he added. Wang also said that both sides should leverage the “complementary nature” of China-Nigeria relations by fully aligning their respective strengths and continuously exploring cooperation potential in new areas such as clean energy, green minerals, finance and more.

China and Nigeria should expand the “comprehensive nature” of China-Nigeria relations, promoting coordinated development in trade, agriculture, culture, defense, science and technology, space and other sectors, said the Chinese foreign minister.

Wang expressed confidence that through joint efforts, the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Nigeria will have an even brighter future.

XINHUA

Ohanaeze: Sen. Azuta-Mbata elected to lead Igbo nation

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Senator John Azuta-Mbata has been elected as the 13th President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, a prominent Igbo socio-cultural organisation.

This development occurred during the election of new executives in Enugu on Friday, where Azuta-Mbata was elected as the new leader, succeeding Fidelis Chukwu, whose tenure has ended.

Notably, Azuta-Mbata hails from Rivers State in South-south Nigeria, marking a significant milestone in the organisation’s history.
The election process was conducted via voice voting, and alongside Azuta-Mbata, 15 other individuals were elected to various executive positions within the organisation.

As a former senator, Azuta-Mbata brings a wealth of experience to his new role, having served as a senator for the Rivers East constituency from 1999 to 2007.

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China FM African tour: Experts laud continent’s engagement with China

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In reaction to the tour of four African countries by the Chinese Foreign Minister, Mr. Want Yi this week, African experts on China affairs have scored Africa-China diplomacy as fruitful.

The experts from Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa, Guinea, etc voiced their satisfaction with Africa and China diplomacy, especially on the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)

They stated that China sustaining the January FM tour of the continent for 35 unbroken years is a good testament to the importance the country attaches to Africa.

Their positions were aired on a webinar hosted by the Belt and Road Institute in Sweden (BRIX) on Thursday as Wang touched down in Nigeria, and later Chad.

Speakers from Africa were Mr. Ikenna Emewu, Director of Afri-China Media Centre and Publisher of Africa China Economy Magazine in Nigeria, Dr. David Monyae, Associate Professor of Political Science and International Relations and Director for the Centre for Africa-China Studies (CACS) at the University of Johannesburg, Mr. Ahmed Moustafa, Director of Asia Center for Studies and Translation in Egypt, and Mr. Martin Camara, economic and strategy analyst from Guinea.

Other experts at the interactive were Hussein Askary, Vice-chairman of the Belt and Road Institute in Sweden and host of the event, and Mr. Stephen Brawer, Chairman of the Belt and Road Institute in Sweden.

The discussion focused on China-Africa relations in 2025 and beyond, and the importance of the Belt and Road Initiative for Africa’s development.

They agreed that “This relationship has grown even more in significance after the United States and EU governments raised the level of tension and trade wars with China. China has been reorienting towards the Global South to mitigate the effects of this negative and zero-sum geopolitical strategy by the West.”

The speakers made presentation on a wide range of analysis and information about the scope and future potential of Africa’s economic and social development in light of the Belt and Road strategy and national and regional development strategies.

A thorough discussion was also triggered by questions from the audience on the impact of the incoming USA administration under Donald Trump on China-Africa relations. The response of the African speakers was quite surprising and counterintuitive.

In addition, speakers presented views and ideas on developing Africa-EU relations and why it is beneficial for Europe to collaborate with African nations and China to build the Belt and Road to contribute to resolving a panoply of economic, social, and security issues facing the European continent. Immigration, for example, which is the talk of the day in the EU and the U.S. can only be dealt with in a constructive manner through the economic and social development in Africa, the panelists agreed.