China imported goods worth nearly $2.3 billion from Nigeria in the first six months of 2026, an 80 per cent increase from the same period last year, the Chargé d’Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Nigeria, Zhou Hongyou, has said. Zhou also disclosed that bilateral trade between Nigeria and China rose to $18 billion during the period, representing a 75 per cent year-on-year increase.
He spoke on Thursday at the Nigeria-China Food Festival at the China Cultural Centre in Abuja, where he said China’s zero-tariff policy for African countries with diplomatic relations with Beijing offered Nigeria a major opportunity to expand its exports. “This is a great chance for Nigeria to expand exports to China,” Zhou said.
The envoy said the festival, which featured Nigerian and Chinese cuisines, music, arts and cultural performances, was designed to deepen cultural understanding and strengthen economic ties between the two countries. Marking the 55th anniversary of Nigeria-China diplomatic relations, Zhou called for greater cooperation in education, culture, technology, the arts and youth exchanges to sustain the relationship across generations.
Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Abdulkarim Ibrahim, said Nigeria’s culinary heritage could drive tourism, investment and job creation, noting that food and beverages constitute the largest subsector of the country’s tourism economy.
He urged stronger Nigeria-China collaboration in gastronomy, tourism, hospitality, culinary education and creative entrepreneurship. The Director-General of the National Institute for Hospitality and Tourism, Abisoye Fagade, said Nigeria’s diverse culinary heritage could support a globally competitive food tourism industry if properly packaged, standardised and commercialised without losing its authenticity.
The festival, themed “From Farm to Feast”, featured 14 Chinese dishes from seven regions of China alongside traditional Nigerian cuisines from the country’s six geopolitical zones. A joint performance by Nigerian and Chinese artistes also showcased the potential of cultural diplomacy to deepen ties between both countries.