China helps Nigeria launch satellite in Year of the Pig By Alli Hakeem

dpa German Press Agency Published: Thursday February 15, 2007

Abuja- As the more than 20,000 Chinese estimated to be living and working in Nigeria were gearing up for the biggest celebration of the Chinese calendar, the lunar new year that starts Sunday, the Chinese ambassador pointed out that his country would help Nigeria to launch its first satellite in the Year of the Pig. "China is cooperating with Nigeria to launch the first Nigerian telecommunications satellite this year. It will be the first such satellite in sub-Saharan Africa," Wang Yongqiu told Deutsche Presse- Agentur dpa.

"One hundred Nigerian engineers are currently receiving advanced technology training in China for the design, launching and operation of the communications satellite," Wang added.

While the two countries reach for the skies, ties between China and Nigeria remain firmly based in trade.

"In 1960, bilateral trade volume between the two countries was below 1 million dollars. This rose to 3 billion dollars by 2006," Ambassador Wang told dpa.

China has made enormous direct investments in the oil and gas, iron and steel, machine-manufacturing, cement, electronics, motorcycle-assembly, fishing, pharmaceuticals and telecommunications sectors of the Nigerian economy.

Diplomatic relations between the two countries began on February 10, 1971, though China had sent its first trade delegation to Nigeria in 1961, one year after the country gained independence from Britain, Wang said.

China has invested heavily in resources-rich Africa in recent years.

"Whereas Sino-Africa trade volume was only 12 million dollars in 1950, it surpassed 10 billion dollars in 2000. In 2006, trade between China and Africa recorded a total volume of 39.7 billion dollars, which is a 36.2 per cent increase over the 2004 figures," Wang said.

In 2006 alone, the total value of project contracts signed between China and Africa reached 41.21 billion dollars and more than 78,000 Chinese are working on these projects in Africa, Wang said.

In the last 50 years, China has provided assistance to 53 African countries, Wang said.

Despite closing for a week from Saturday to mark the arrival of the Year of the Pig, the Chinese embassy in Abuja is holding a reception for its citizens Friday evening, Wu Chuanhua, director of the political section of the embassy, recently told dpa in Abuja.

The sizeable number of Chinese officially registered in Nigeria is only part of the whole picture as there are many more living unofficially in the West African nation, according to Wu.

"We can only provide the number of those registered and working for well-known companies. There are so many others who are businessmen and women that are not registered with the embassy," Wu said.

With the increase in trade between the two sides, it seems the number of Chinese celebrating the lunar new year or spring festival in future is only set to grow.

© 2006 dpa German Press Agency