Your Excellency, the Representative of the Government of the People’s Republic of China; Your Excellencies, Ambassadors and Heads of Diplomatic Missions; Distinguished Representatives of International Organisations; Esteemed Members of the Business and Academic Communities; Fellow Nigerians; Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen:
Good evening.
On behalf of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the Government and people of Nigeria, I warmly welcome you to this celebration of our nation’s sixty-sixth Independence Anniversary.
Although we gather beyond the anniversary date of 1 October, we do so with undiminished pride in our country and renewed confidence in its future. I thank the Government and people of the People’s Republic of China for their friendship and hospitality, and all our guests for honouring Nigeria with their presence.
This evening, we celebrate the courage of our founding fathers and mothers, the sacrifices of successive generations, and the enduring determination of Nigerians to build a united, peaceful and prosperous country.
Our national story encompasses remarkable diversity: many languages, cultures and traditions, brought together by a common citizenship and a shared destiny. Our strength lies in our ability to turn that diversity into cooperation, creativity and national purpose.
The theme of this year’s celebration, “From Reforms to Stability: Consolidating Nigeria’s Renewed Hope for Shared Prosperity,” speaks directly to the responsibilities of this moment.
It recognises that reform must lead to improvements people can experience in their daily lives: food that families can afford, reliable electricity for businesses, quality education for children, accessible healthcare, productive employment and safer communities.
Under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s leadership, Nigeria has undertaken difficult reforms intended to address longstanding structural weaknesses and establish firmer foundations for sustainable development.
We recognise the pressures that this period of adjustment has placed on households and enterprises. The patience, enterprise and resilience of Nigerians deserve acknowledgement. Their sacrifices give urgency to the task of ensuring that reform produces lasting benefits.
Consolidation requires consistency in policy, effective institutions and accountability in implementation. It requires investment that expands production, strengthens infrastructure and creates opportunities across our country.
Shared prosperity must have meaning for the farmer seeking access to markets, the manufacturer seeking dependable power, the young graduate seeking a first job, and the woman seeking finance to grow her business. Their progress is the measure by which our national ambitions must ultimately be judged.
Distinguished guests,
For me, stability also has a deeply human meaning. It is the confidence that a child can attend school safely, that a family can pursue its livelihood in peace, and that hard work offers a reasonable prospect of a better life.
Security and development reinforce each other. Protecting lives, strengthening trust in institutions, and widening access to opportunity are essential to the prosperous society we seek.
These ambitions give particular significance to Nigeria’s international partnerships, including our valued relationship with China.
This year marks fifty-five years of diplomatic relations between Nigeria and the People’s Republic of China. Since the establishment of those relations in 1971, our countries have developed a friendship grounded in mutual respect and practical cooperation.
The elevation of our relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and President Xi Jinping in September 2024 established a broader framework for advancing our common interests.
Our responsibility is to translate that framework into projects, enterprises, skills and opportunities that benefit our peoples.
Nigeria welcomes deeper cooperation with China in manufacturing, agriculture and agroprocessing, energy, transport, the digital economy, healthcare and education. We see considerable value in partnerships that combine investment with local production, technical training, research and the development of Nigerian businesses.
We also seek to expand the range and value of Nigerian exports reaching Chinese markets. Stronger connections between our financial institutions, businesses and investment communities can help turn commercial interest into productive, lasting partnerships.
To our Chinese business friends, I extend a clear invitation: work with Nigerian partners to build enterprises that create jobs, develop skills and serve growing markets. The Embassy stands ready to facilitate credible engagements and help sustain the relationships on which successful investment depends.
Beyond commerce, our friendship grows through people. Students, researchers, artists, entrepreneurs and professionals bring our societies closer through their everyday interactions. We welcome more exchanges between our universities, cultural institutions and communities.
Fellow Nigerians in China,
You are an essential part of this relationship. Through your achievements, conduct and enterprise, you help shape how our country is understood. I encourage you to continue to uphold Nigeria’s good name, respect the laws of our host country, support one another, and contribute your knowledge and experience to national development.
Distinguished guests,
Independence is an inheritance that each generation must strengthen. We honour those who secured it by building institutions that endure, protecting the dignity of our citizens, and creating opportunities for those who follow us.
Our confidence in Nigeria rests on the abilities of its people and on our determination to turn those abilities into lasting national progress.
As we celebrate tonight, let us renew our commitment to unity, service and partnership—and to a future in which prosperity reaches more homes and hope finds expression in everyday life.
May I now invite you to join me in a toast:
To the good health of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and President Xi Jinping;
To the peace and prosperity of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the People’s Republic of China;
And to the enduring friendship between our peoples.
Happy Independence Anniversary.
Thank you. Xie xie.