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Reigning African Champions, the Super Falcons commenced training sessions yesterday in the Togolese capital, Lomé ahead of their 2026 Women Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) final qualifying fixture, first leg match against their Béninoise counterparts, which will take place on Friday.

Six-time Africa Player of the Year Asisat Oshoala was among the early birds in the Super Falcons’ Lomé camp, alongside new invitee Joy Omewa, as well as Turkey-based defender Tosin Demehin, China-based forward Folashade Ijamilusi, and the home-based quintet of goalkeeper Anderline Mgbechi, defenders Blessing Ilivieda and Miracle Usani, midfielder Taiwo Afolabi and forward Kafayat Mafisere.

The Super Falcons will face the Bénin senior women’s team at the 25,000 – capacity Stade de Kégué on Friday afternoon.

The return leg is slated for the MKO Abiola Sports Complex, Abeokuta on Tuesday, 28th October 2025.

The Confederation of African Football has selected Gambian official Ngum Fatou as referee for Friday’s match, with Mauritanians Mariem Chedad and Hamedine Houleye as assistant referees 1 and 2 respectively, while Gambian Isatou Touray will serve as fourth official.

Halimatou Hamidou from Niger Republic will be the commissioner, while Martha Nyekanyeka from Malawi will be in the role of referee assessor.

Super Falcons for WAFCON Qualifying fixture vs Benin:

Goalkeepers: Chiamaka Nnadozie (Brighton Hove and Albion, England); Anderline Mgbechi (Rivers Angels); Rachael Unachukwu (Nasarawa Amazons)

Defenders: Osinachi Ohale (Pachucha Club de Futbol, Mexico); Shukurat Oladipo (AS Roma, Italy); Michelle Alozie (Houston Dash, USA); Ashleigh Plumptre (Ittihad Ladies FC, Saudi Arabia); Blessing Ilivieda (Bayelsa Queens); Oluwatosin Demehin (Galatasaray Sportive, Turkey); Miracle Usani (Abia Angels)

Midfielders: Rasheedat Ajibade (Paris Saint Germain, France); Taiwo Afolabi (Rivers Angels); Deborah Abiodun (Washington Spirit, USA); Jennifer Echegini (Paris Saint Germain, France); Christy Ucheibe (SL Benfica, Portugal)

Forwards: Chinwendu Ihezuo (Pachucha Club de Futbol, Mexico); Joy Omewa (Fortuna Hjorrin FC, Denmark); Esther Okoronkwo (AFC Toronto, Canada); Asisat Oshoala (Al Hilal FC, Saudi Arabia); Folashade Ijamilusi (Liaoning Shenyang Shenbei Hefeng, China); Kafayat Mafisere (Edo Queens).

Last week, an event involving leaders, organizations and leading Ulama from the North held in Kaduna. The last time clerics and leaders of Muslim communities in the North showed such unity was during the scramble for reinforcing the Sharia legal system in states with Muslim majorities in the North. In one day, leaders of virtually all sects, tendencies and groups that would not pray together walked up the podium to pledge support for unity of the Muslim community and the initiative which brought them together. Some Muslims from the South witnessed the event. A sprinkling of politicians expressed support and asked for involvement on matters that required their support.

Given the distances that have grown between these immensely powerful clergy in the last few decades, it is safe to assume that most had not shared the same room or a mosque for many years. They had fought each other, often labelling each other as unbelievers on widely-shared social media and television. Their followers and foot soldiers have carried the fights to ballot boxes, the courts and trenches which had widened, literally by the day. Muslims who had power sources and television sets must have watched in awe as commitments were made to strengthen Muslim unity across the country, to address sources of division and share perspectives on many pressing issues involving Muslims.

It was obvious a lot of work had gone into organizing the event, beyond getting the top layer of the Ulama and leaders to accept to sit in one meeting with each other. Presentations were made on the values of negotiations and the primacy of justice with respect to the current debates on approaching escalating strengths of banditry with many Muslim communities as its victims. An informed presentation dwelt on the impact of social media on unity of the Muslim community; the burden of the fate of Palestinians on Nigerian Muslims; attempts to create hostility against Nigeria through sophisticated campaigns of genocide against Nigerian Christians; current efforts to erect artificial distinctions between Hausa and Fulani people, and current controversies around the relationship between the Holy Qur’an and traditions (Hadith). For a one-day event, these issues captured the heart of basic concerns of the Northern Muslim. Students of contemporary Nigerian politics though would have noticed the loud silence over Muslims and 2027, particularly since it is a burning issue among Muslim voters who were convinced the Muslim-Muslim ticket which brought President Tinubu to power is now up for interrogation. Still, it was difficult not to assume some seismic shift by Northern Muslims was afoot.

The Summit’s communique affirmed the primacy of unity of Muslims and the negative impact of social media on that unity; the imperatives of reconciliation as the driving element in all peace efforts, subject to the requirement that negotiations and resolution must be contingent on government acquiring superior position of strength and guarantees of justice for all parties. The Summit’s condemned the levels of insecurity to which communities are exposed, and pledged to work with government and security agencies to restore security and stability. It invited attention to severe economic challenges affecting citizens and urged governments to implement measures to reduce them and ensure equity in public spending. It condemned the genocide against the Palestinian people and rejected claims that there has been a systemic genocide against Nigerian Christians. Looking inwards, the Summit condemned ‘deviant’ ideologies and committed those present to intensify efforts to educate Muslims on the dangers of misleading ideologies and adherence to mainstream Islamic scholarship.

It will be uncharitable to impute any but the best motives behind this effort to engineer unity among leadership of the Muslim community, particularly among its leadership. There are many Muslims who have given up on improving quality of leadership and cohesion among those who exercise enormous powers over perceptions and actions of well over 100 million Muslims in Nigeria. Leadership in Islam bestows huge influence, powers and responsibilities. It also demands unquestioning commitment to the highest values and traditions of leaders. Not even the leaders and the leading Ulama themselves will dispute the accusation that they have contributed to the damaging divisions and hostility among and between Muslims.

Perhaps, it is inevitable that the quality in leadership of the Muslim community, like everything else, will decline to its current pathetic state in Nigeria. Traditional institutions which had strong influence on faith matters have gradually lost their influence to a predatory political culture over a long period, starting with military rule. The successor political elite consolidated power around itself, while running a Godless system over a deeply religious people. Faith matters became fractured and privatized, and clerics exploited a booming population seeking answers to the complexities and challenges of modern life by turning faithfuls into power blocs.

As populations grew and the State abandoned its responsibility to young citizens and the weak, social regulatory mechanisms and systems lost their powers. Increasing decline in qualities of secular and religious leadership created entrance points for corrupting values and compromised regulatory mechanisms. A deeply religious citizenry of Muslims and Christians prayed as they should, then did everything in the manner God forbids. Once in a while, we turned on each other, blaming each other for precisely what we both do. Our leaders swear by the Quran and the Bible after stealing elections, and then spend four or eight years stealing the commonwealth.

Chickens are now coming home to roost. Bandits and insurgents kill people in mosques while praying shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’. Millions of Muslim children roam the streets begging for food without Islamic or Western education. Clerics blaspheme on social media to gain followers. The holy month of Ramadan is smeared with pointed, hostile broadcast targeted at fellow clerics and prominent Ulama. In the run-up to the 2023 elections, Muslims were told to vote for the Muslim-Muslim ticket because it will improve the lot of Muslims and protect their faith in a multi religious country that operates a perverted secular political system. Today, Muslims are at the receiving end of the worst outcome of a failing state that cannot protect them, safeguard their commonwealth or even hide its failure. The challenges of intimate relations involving power and faith should now serve as a guide to the position of Muslims as we move towards 2027.

The Kaduna Summit has raised much hope that religious leadership of Nigeria, not just for Northern Muslims, will improve on its record. Its biggest contribution, if it wants to be taken seriously, is to be more circumspect in terms of its engagement with the political process. At this stage, millions of Muslims feel let down after the promise that Tinubu’s Muslim-Muslim ticket will better their lives. The distance between the Ulama and followers has increased, and the rampant use of the Ulama at many levels of the Nigerian state by a corrupt leadership has robbed it of its integrity and standing. Islamic education, which is the foundation of the faith, has also been privatized. Children of the rich attend expensive Islamic schools. Children of the poor are the Almajir left at the mercy of a thoroughly corrupting society. And we wonder what produced the thousands of bandits and terrorists who make our lives living hell. The Ulama does not have all the time in the world. It must avoid a rebellion by followers who will rise to chart their own courses.

The Police in Benue State have killed a suspected armed robber and assassin, identified as Saater, who had long been on the command’s wanted list for his alleged involvement in the killings of a local hunters’ commander and his wife in Wannune, Tarka Local Government Area of the state.

Police spokesperson, DSP Udeme Edet, in a statement issued on Monday, said the suspect met his end during a gun duel with operatives at the weekend in Makurdi, after he opened fire on a team of detectives who attempted to arrest him.

Edet said that the late suspect was wanted for the assassination of Aondoakaa Yayol, Commander of the local hunters’ association, who was shot dead on June 20, 2025, and the earlier killing of Yayol’s wife, Mrs Kashimana Yayol, on February 11, 2023, both in Wannune.

‘Acting on credible intelligence that the suspect had returned to Makurdi with plans to launch fresh attacks, detectives moved swiftly to apprehend him around George Akume Way.

‘He engaged the police team in a shootout but was subdued and arrested,’ the statement read.

The suspect reportedly sustained gunshot wounds during the encounter and was taken to the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH), where he was later confirmed dead.

His remains have been deposited at the hospital morgue.

The police spokesperson listed items recovered from the deceased suspect to include one AK-47 rifle, a locally fabricated short gun, several 7.62mm live ammunition, cartridges, and seven SIM cards suspected to have been stolen.

The naira opened the week on a strong note, gaining N10 against the US dollar on Monday.

The naira appreciated against the US dollar at the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market (NFEM) after experiencing pressure at the close of business last week.

The official exchange rate closed at N1,475/$, down 1.37% week over week at the NFEM window on Friday.

FX inflows in the official market fell by about 33% week on week to $1.1 billion, an update from Coronation Merchant Bank Limited revealed.

The decline in US dollar volume provides a partial explanation for the exchange rate fluctuation at the official currency market last week, analysts told MarketForces Africa, maintaining a positive outlook on the spot rate.

Updated FX data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Monday revealed that the naira strengthened by 0.69% to close at N1,465.29 per greenback.

It was also observed that the naira reached an intraday high of N1470, which translates to a sharp recovery when compared with N1482/$ quote on Friday.

The CBN Sold $70 million to banks as part of its FX intervention to keep dollar supply strong and achieve a stable exchange rate.

In spite of fluctuation in oil price, Nigeria’s external reserves surged to $42.696 billion last week, and the market anticipates additional inflows to lift the balance this week.

The Kano State Hisbah Board has rescued two women allegedly being trafficked from Katsina State to Somalia.

The board had also arrested a 43-year-old suspect linked to the attempt.

The Deputy Commander General of the Board, Sheikh Mujahid Aminudeen Abubakar, disclosed this while briefing journalists in Kano.

He said the operation followed credible intelligence received from concerned citizens about a suspected trafficking movement.

According to him, officers from the Hisbah Motor Parks Operations Unit acted swiftly after receiving a tip-off, leading to the interception of the suspect named Abubakar Adodo, at a motor park in Kano.

The victims, identified as 22-year-old Hajara Ismail from Funtua and 33-year-old Bilkisu Haruna from Kofar Marusa, were reportedly on their way to Lagos and are believed to be part of a planned route to Somalia through Benin Republic.

Sheikh Abubakar said the prompt intervention of Hisbah officials thwarted the illegal journey and ensured the women’s safety.

He added that both the suspect and the victims have been handed over to the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) for further investigation and prosecution.

Local government leaders from both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Sokoto East have joined the political camp of Senator Ibrahim Lamido, the senator representing the senatorial district in the National Assembly, citing his efforts to uplift the poor through education, job creation, and community development.

Speaking at a welcome event held in Sokoto, dozens of former local government chairmen, ward secretaries, and councillors from Isa and Sabon Birni local government areas announced their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to align with Senator Lamido’s political movement.

They said their decision was driven by the senator’s steadfast commitment to tackling insecurity and promoting development across the region.

The defection of an APC ward chairman from Isa added a new twist to the political realignment, signaling growing cracks within the ruling party-particularly at the grassroots level, where dissatisfaction is said to be spreading.

Alhaji Sanusi Ibrahim Toba, a former councillor who led a group of eight defectors, said their decision was based on Senator Lamido’s consistent record of service.

‘We have witnessed his dedication to addressing the security crisis that has devastated our communities. Unlike others, he delivers on his promises,’ he said.

Alhaji Usman Sa’idu, an APC ward chairman, expressed frustration with the current government, alleging neglect by the administration they worked hard to bring to power.

‘We worked tirelessly for the APC, but since then, we have been forgotten. Senator Lamido is the only one who listens and acts,’ he said.

Similarly, Muhammad Usman, Treasurer of the APC in Rabah LGA, joined Lamido’s camp, citing the senator’s commitment to empowering the poor through scholarships and job opportunities.

‘Most of the students he sponsored abroad are from humble backgrounds. He puts the people first, not his family or political allies,’ Usman said.

Also speaking, Alhaji Nasiru Musa Marafa, the Marafan Kudun Gobir, urged youths and elders to rally behind leaders who prioritise security, education, and economic empowerment.

‘Our communities are under threat. Lamido has shown courage and compassion in addressing our needs,’ he said.

Malam Sama’ila Usman, who spoke on behalf of new defectors from the PDP, commended Lamido’s development strides in education, youth empowerment, and infrastructure.

‘Even his opponents admit that he is working. He is not just a politician but a representative who truly cares about his people,’ he added.

Receiving the defectors, Alhaji Kabiru Shehu (Sarkin Fulani), Coordinator of the Senator Ibrahim Lamido Movement, assured them of fairness, inclusion, and unity within the group.

‘Senator Lamido remains committed to peace, development, and inclusive governance. Together, we can build a safer and more prosperous Sokoto East,’ he said.

The Ogun State Government has told residents living in riverbanks and wetland to prepare for overflow of the Ogun River within the next two weeks.

The affected areas are Akute, Alagbole, Isheri, Magboro, Makogi, Orimerunmu, Iro, Kajola and part of Abeokuta specifically Lafenwa, Enugada, Adedotun, Iberekodo, Akin-Olugbade and Ago-Odo.

According to the latest flood alert released on Monday by the state’s Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, the overflow from Ogun River is

a result of controlled release of water from Oyan Dam due to heavy rainfalls from up-north.

He said the increase in the water flow into the dam would inevitably force the release of water from the dam that would affect the areas.

Oresanya urged residents of the areas to exercise caution and avoid loss of lives and property within the period.

He further emphasised the need for residents of the areas to avoid the riverbank while those in the wetlands should move to higher grounds.

He added that as part of the mitigating plans, the state government had continuously dredged and opened up more tributaries for Ogun River to ease the pressure of the overflow on residents in collaboration with the Ogun Osun River Basin Authority.

The Edo State Security Corps has rescued a husband and wife who were kidnapped by suspected gunmen in the state.

The couple, residents of the Igbo Camp in Ohordua, Esan South East Local Government Area, were working on their farm when the gunmen stormed the area and whisked them into the forest.

The kidnappers reportedly contacted the family and commenced negotiation for ransom payment.

The Commandant of the Edo State Security Corps, Richard Balogun, said following the report of the couple’s kidnapping, the Corps, comprising vigilantes and local hunters, mobilized for bush combing.

According to him, the kidnappers, upon sighting the team, engaged them in a gun battle, leading to the gunmen abandoning their victims.

He said the operatives successfully rescued the couple unhurt, and assured the Corps’ readiness to make farms in Edo safe.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has dismissed allegations of signature forgery and document cloning raised by its National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, insisting that he personally signed all relevant documents related to the party’s forthcoming national convention.

The party described Anyanwu’s claims as part of a broader plot to frustrate preparations for the convention scheduled for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, Oyo State.

However, speaking to Daily Trust last night, the embattled national secretary said he would not be drawn into public exchanges with the party, stressing that he had already submitted his petition to investigating agencies, which would uncover the truth.

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it would communicate any official position on the PDP and its convention after the Anambra governorship election.

INEC’s Deputy Director of Publicity, Wilfred Osilama Ifogah, told one of our reporters that he was currently in Anambra for stakeholders’ engagements. ‘This is a latest development, and I cannot comment on it for now. Our focus is on the Anambra governorship election. Any other information will be communicated in due time,’ he said.

Addressing journalists at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja yesterday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, dismissed Anyanwu’s allegations, insisting that the secretary personally signed the documents in question in the presence of PDP governors, National Working Committee (NWC) members, and other key stakeholders.

He listed those present at the signing as Governors Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Ademola Adeleke (Osun), and Dauda Lawal (Zamfara); former Minister of Special Duties, Tanimu Turaki; and former Senate President Bukola Saraki, among others.

Ologunagba challenged investigating agencies and Nigerians to verify from these leaders whether Anyanwu signed the letters in their presence. He accused the national secretary of joining those allegedly attempting to derail the convention, stressing that ‘people can have alternative propaganda and twisting of stories, but what you don’t have is an alternative to facts. The facts are sacred.’

‘Anyanwu signed four letters in one sitting’

Ologunagba explained that during the PDP’s 101st National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, which INEC attended, the NEC approved the timetable for the 2025 elective national convention. The NEC, he said, also directed the national chairman and secretary to notify INEC officially in accordance with Section 82(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 and Part Two of INEC’s guidelines for political parties.

He added that at the subsequent 102nd NEC meeting held on August 25, the chairman and Anyanwu jointly signed four letters, including one notifying INEC of the convention’s time, date, venue, and agenda.

‘That meeting was preceded by a session involving governors, NWC members, and other party leaders,’ Ologunagba said. ‘Apart from those mentioned earlier, Senator Anyanwu, the national legal adviser and the national organising secretary were present. The letters were signed on August 25, including the one to INEC.’

He said Anyanwu also wrote letters to members of subcommittees on contact and mobilisation, including one to Hon. Arthur, his personal aide, who duly acknowledged receipt.

‘I wonder why he is alleging forgery nearly two months after he signed the letters and INEC had acknowledged them,’ Ologunagba said.

The PDP spokesperson said while the party welcomed an investigation into the matter, it expected Anyanwu to face consequences if his claims proved false.

‘He who alleges must prove,’ Ologunagba stated. ‘Four letters were signed at the same time nearly two months ago, and suddenly one is being called forged. Beyond this, there’s a calculated attempt to derail the party and ensure the convention does not hold. But this will fail because it’s untrue. It’s criminal to make false allegations before security agencies, and anyone behind such falsehoods must face the law.’

Despite the controversy, Ologunagba said preparations for the convention were progressing smoothly.

‘Many people are throwing bricks and rocks at us,’ he said. ‘There could be many distractions, but these are becoming smaller pebbles. We are focused on the convention. The secretariats of the convention committees are bustling with activity because we are going ahead as planned. The convention is the safeguard of democracy in this country.’

Wike, Anyanwu’s grouse

Last month, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, and his allies, including Senator Anyanwu, met in Abuja and presented a list of conditions they said must be met for a successful convention.

They warned that failure to meet these demands would render the convention invalid, as legitimate members would be disenfranchised.

The meeting, attended by Wike, Anyanwu, former governors Ayodele Fayose (Ekiti), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), and Samuel Ortom (Benue), demanded fresh congresses in Ebonyi and Anambra states in compliance with existing court judgments and a new South-East zonal congress.

The group also insisted that the outcome of the South-South congress in Calabar, which produced Wike’s ally, Dan Orbih, must be respected.

It further stated that there should be no micro-zoning beyond the general formula approved by the NEC, and that the national chairmanship position should remain in the North-Central, not the North-West as being proposed by some leaders.

Subsequently, some state chairmen of the party loyal to Wike instituted a lawsuit to stop the national convention. The case is yet to be decided.

Those who want PDP dead are still at play – Olafeso

Commenting, a former PDP South-West Vice Chairman, Dr Eddy Olafeso, described those opposing the convention as individuals determined to destroy the party.

‘What is happening is the push of childbirth; you feel the pain, but a new PDP will be born,’ he said. ‘Those who want us dead are still at play, but the majority of us are working hard to ensure it’s not a stillbirth. It’s unfortunate that those who rose through the party to the mountain top are now trying to level it.’

Olafeso said the NWC remains united behind the convention. ‘If you’re 17 in a committee and 16 decide to go one way, on what basis will you go the other? Power corrupts, but the will of the majority will prevail. Some have even declared open support for another party ahead of 2027. Their aim is to weaken the PDP, but we will overcome,’ he said.

He stressed that the PDP, founded in 1998, remains Nigeria’s most enduring political party. ‘Having been a member of the NWC, I cannot play games with the survival of our party,’ he said.

Why Anyanwu is aggrieved – Osadolor

A member of the PDP’s NEC, Timothy Osadolor, said Anyanwu’s concerns about unresolved congress issues in the South-East were legitimate and should not be ignored.

‘The National Secretary’s grievances are not rocket science,’ Osadolor said. ‘There are court judgments on the South-East zonal congress, the Ebonyi and Anambra executive issues, and these must be resolved before the convention.’

He explained that while other geopolitical zones have conducted smooth congresses, the South-East remains problematic. ‘The only zone with lingering issues is the South-East, where there are contentious matters in Anambra, Ebonyi, and the zonal executive,’ he said.

Osadolor urged PDP governors to allow the acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, to handle the issues fairly and independently.

‘The governors should remove pressure from Damagum and let him act freely,’ he said. ‘No one’s interest, be it a governor’s or an ex-governor’s, should override the need to do what is right for the party. If Anyanwu is only calling for things to be done properly and constitutionally, that shouldn’t be seen as a crime.’

I have no plan to join APC – Gov Adeleke

In a related development, Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has assured that all challenges facing the PDP will be resolved internally, dismissing rumours that he plans to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Speaking after the inaugural meeting of the Accommodation Subcommittee for the convention at Legacy House, Maitama, Abuja, Adeleke said current issues in the PDP are ‘a family affair.’

‘We are meeting and resolving our issues internally. It’s a family matter, and we don’t want anyone outside to add sugar, pepper, or salt to it,’ he said. ‘Everybody was present at our meeting, and we have resolved everything that needed to be sorted out so that the convention can proceed smoothly.’

Reacting to recent defections, Adeleke said he was not worried, noting that individuals have the right to make their own political decisions. ‘We still have strong membership and widespread support across Nigeria. I am not worried,’ he said.

He also debunked claims that he was planning to join the APC because of his friendships within the ruling party. ‘I’m a very civilised person. If I have friends in the APC and they invite me to a social function, I will attend-that doesn’t mean I’m joining them,’ he said.

At the turn of the 21st century, precisely between the 10th and 12th of October, in the year 2000, the first ministerial conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) held in Beijing, following earlier consultations. Nearly one hundred ministers from China and 44 African countries were in attendance. A joint declaration at the end of the conference among other things explained that the two sides were ‘highly appreciative of the stable development of Sino-Africa relations over the past decades, have full confidence in the future cooperation and agree that there exists a solid foundation for friendly relations and cooperation between China and Africa, given their time-honoured traditional friendship.’

Twenty-five years later, the trajectories of China-Africa cooperation have justified the optimism expressed at the inaugural conference that the two sides ‘have full confidence in the future cooperation’, even as they agreed ‘that there exists a solid foundation’, for such cooperation, nurtured by ‘their time-honoured traditional friendship.’

China-Africa cooperation even before the founding of the FOCAC process have time-honoured pedigree. From 1967, China set out to construct in Zambia and Tanzania, the nearly 2,000km railway line, offered an interest-free loan to cover costs of constructing the line and supporting infrastructure of stations and training school as well as the supply of motive power and rolling stock. The interest-free loan was repayable according to the agreement in 30 years.

The proposal for the project, later dubbed the freedom line or Tazara railways was outrightly rejected by major Western powers then, and even the former Soviet Union as economically unviable. China accepted to build it and duly completed it in 1974.

In 1971, 26 African countries including Nigeria were among 76 other countries in the world that voted in the UN General Assembly to enable China regain her seat at the United Nations and provided the subsisting international consensus that there is only ‘One China’ in the world, and that Taiwan is an inalienable and integral part of China’s sovereign expression and territorial integrity.

The vigorous exchanges and mutual support were the basis for the time-honoured traditional friendship between China and Africa and consequently formed the ‘solid foundation’, on which the FOCAC process was built. The point needs to be made that despite the phenomenal growth in China-Africa cooperation especially at the turn of the 21st century, with the establishment of FOCAC, the relationship is neither new nor transactional as some commentators want to describe it. It is rooted in traditional friendship and solidarity shaped by common experience of colonial domination and imperialist exploitation but more importantly a shared aspiration of social and economic well beings for their respective peoples. In her traditional support for infrastructure construction, which began with the Tazara railway, China within the framework of the FOCAC mechanism further energised and reinforced by the Belt and Road framework for international cooperation have helped Africa to build and renovate more than 10,000 kilometers of railways, about 100,000km of roads, more than 1,000 bridges and nearly 100 ports.

Among the major infrastructure projects, includes the first transnational electrified railway line between Ethiopia and Djibouti, spanning over 750km and have significantly reduced both the time and cost of travel between the Ethiopia industrial heartland and the Djibouti port. The Mombassa-Nairobi standard gauge railway in Kenya; Lekki Deep Sea port in Lagos, Nigeria. The Lekki Deep Seaport with estimated economic benefits of about US$ 360 billion, would also create about 170,000 new jobs.

These are few among the many infrastructure connectivity projects in Africa built by China in the elaborate framework of the cooperation between the two sides. The projects respond to the original deficit in the struggle for Pan African Unity, a challenge taken up at the meeting of the defunct Organization of Africa Union (OAU) at its special session at Lagos, in 1980. The vision of continental connectivity and industrial take-off contained in the iconic document, the ‘Lagos Plan of Action’ was immediately countered by the World Bank and vitiated by lack of political will but has through the framework of the FOCAC process returned to the earlier blueprint with ‘Africa engaging more with herself through connectivity and trade than at any other time in her post-colonial history.

Economic and trade cooperation have emerged as the flagship of the engagement between the two sides. For 16 years in a straight row, China has been Africa’s largest trading partner with the volume reaching a record of US$ 295.74 billion in 2024, an increase of 6.1% from the previous year. Since the establishment of FOCAC in 2000, the trade volume between China and African countries have risen with average annual growth of 14.2%, rising from meagre 13.94 billion US dollars to the current record level.

More importantly, the structure of trade which previously revolved around export of Africa energy and mineral resources and imports of China’s manufactures are shifting in favour of high value-added sectors such mechanical and electrical products, digital services and green technologies. In 2024, African countries exports of processed agricultural products to China demonstrating strength in agro-processing and manufacturing significantly increased. China exports to Africa which includes photovoltaic modules, industrial robots and smart phones showed remarkable boost.

In overall, the shift in China-Africa trade towards diversification, higher value-added and technology intensive sector is becoming increasingly significant. Additionally, Chinese investments in the manufacturing, agro-processing sector energy and digital economy is scaling up Africa’s industrialization with cumulative investment that reached US$ 42.12 billion, with nearly Chinese 3,300 operating in 51 African countries. To give greater impetus to Africa’s access to the Chinese market, the Chinese side instituted the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo, specifically designated to give products from Africa’s exposure to China’s huge market.

At this year’s 4th edition of the Expo, 176 contracts worth US$11.39 billion were signed, a 45.8 per cent increase to the previous edition of the Expo held in 2023. In addition to existing mechanism for concessional access of African products to the Chinese market, China proposed last June as a part of the implementation of Ten Partnership Action Plan, outlined by President Xi Jinping at the heads of State Summit of FOCAC held in 2024, to grant zero tariff treatment on 100 percent of tariff lines for exports from 53 African countries with diplomatic ties.

Since the creation of FOCAC in 2000, it has propelled bilateral cooperation of the two sides into a phase of rapid, comprehensive and stable development. In addition to the creation of multiple cooperation mechanism and trade facilitation initiatives, it has enabled a long-term institutional support for China-Africa relations. Not only in trade and economic engagement, FOCAC has proven a viable dialogue mechanism, enabling greater clarity in the relations between the two sides. The inbuilt follow-up process means that in between ministerial conferences or summit at every three years, there is no complacency or dull moments, as vigorous exchanges in various sectors cutting across culture, educational, Think Tanks are elaborately engaged.

While China-Africa engagements at different levels are well known for tangible outcomes and deliverable, it is also fostering values through mutual learnings and governance experience sharing. Through the FOCAC process inter-party consultations and civilizational dialogues are gaining momentum, and bridging the geographical gaps between the two sides.

Within the context of mutual learnings and experience sharing in governance, African countries should equally pay attention to the theoretical framework of ‘Xi Jinping Thought’, which has resolved some knotty issues in China’s modernizations and provide both the clarity and insight for a fresh starting point in the country’s steady march to her national rejuvenation.

The intrinsic value of the ‘Thought’ is its objective eligibility to frame the crucial and enabling questions from a broad framework that captures the historical imperatives, emerging trends and issues of the times against the background of a compelling existential reality.

The China-Africa journey within the framework of the FOCAC process is still a work in progress despite the crucial milestones it has reached. At the Beijing summit of last year, President Xi Jinping proposed to characterize China-Africa as ‘all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for a new era’.

More than 60 years ago, when the Chinese Venerable Premier, Zhou Enlai visited Africa, in Ghana he outlined the eight principles of China’s support and assistance to Africa. Among the eight principles, the fourth explained that ‘in providing aid to other countries, the purpose of the Chinese government is not to make the recipient countries dependent on China but to help them embark step by step on the road to self-reliance and independent economic development’. This position is as valid today as it was, more than six decades ago, when it was pronounced on African soil.

The historic imperative for Africa is to meet China half way in the open brotherly embrace and make the opportunity of China to contribute to the concrete advantage of Africa’s renaissance, with FOCAC as the mutual roadmap.