President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe as the Director-General and Global Liaison for the Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership.
Tegbe’s appointment was contained in a statement signed on Sunday by Special Adviser to the President on Information on Strategy, Bayo Onananuga.
The appointment of Mr Tegbe is sequel to President Tinubu’s visit to China in early September, where Nigeria and China agreed on key areas of cooperation.
The Mandate
As the the leader of the strategic partnership, Mr Tegbe will lead day-to-day operations, engage continuously with the Chinese counterparts, and ensure that all deliverables are met and synchronised with national development goals.
In the strategic plan, he will outline the specific deliverables, timelines, and key performance indicators for each area of cooperation. This will include priority projects, projected investments and expected socioeconomic outcomes.
The newly appointed Director General is expected to immediately submit a strategic action plan to enable Nigeria benefit from the agreements between the two countries in Beijing.
Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe’s Profile
Tegbe, a 1988 first-class graduate in civil engineering from Obafemi Awolowo University, is to report directly to the President.
He is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA) and a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria.
After his education at Federal Government College, Ogbomosho, and Obafemi Awolowo University, he had close to 35 years of experience in business strategy.
He was the senior partner and head of advisory services at KPMG in Africa, with a portfolio and responsibilities that included the Middle East.
He has worked for many Fortune 500 companies and African conglomerates, advising on strategic planning, investment, and portfolio reviews.
Mr Tegbe also led subnational governments, such as Oyo, Ekiti, Ondo, Benue, and Bayelsa, in investment drives to South Africa, Denmark, China, India, Singapore, and the UAE.
China-Africa Cooperation
At the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), President Xi Jinping pledged 360 billion yuan, which is about $51 billion, in new financing to African nations in the next three years.
He also pledged support for 30 infrastructure projects to boost connectivity across the continent and create one million jobs.
During his official visit before the FOCAC, President Tinubu also secured the commitment of President Jinping to support Nigeria’s economic diversification plans, infrastructure development, technology transfer, and job creation.
Nigeria and China, among others, agreed to collaborate on expanding Nigeria’s rail network, upgrading power distribution, and creating new industrial parks.
The two countries committed to establishing hospital alliances and collaborating on medical research. Under the agreement, Chinese healthcare professionals will be deployed to support Nigeria’s healthcare system.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
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