The 4th Session of the Abuja Forum was jointly held in Abuja, capital of Nigeria by the Institute of African Studies of Zhejiang Normal University and Gusau Institute of Nigeria on October 19. 

Themed on "Promoting Africa-China Belt and Road Cooperation for a New Era of Common Development", participants had an in-depth discussion on the eight major steps China will take to support its joint pursuit of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and offered their advice and suggestions for the practical cooperation between China and Nigeria. 

More than 100 representatives from both sides attended the opening ceremony of the seminar, including Aliyu Gusau Mohammed, former Nigerian Minister of Defense; Cui Jianchun, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of China to Nigeria; Shao Guoping, Vice Chair, University Affairs Committee of Zhejiang Normal University; Liu Hongwu, Director of the Institute of African Studies, Zhejiang Normal University and scholar of the Chang Jiang Scholars Program of China's Ministry of Education; Lv Xuejun, Director General of Contemporary World Magazine; Ahmed Magaji, former Nigerian Ambassador to São Tomé and Príncipe; and Olusegun Awolowo, Executive Secretary of National Action Committee on the African Continental Free Trade Area.

Gusau said, a new and feasible strategic framework should be developed in China-Africa cooperation to address the increasingly complex challenges, continuously enhance multilateral communication and collaboration, and work together to establish a stable and inclusive new international order. The Abuja Forum, jointly founded by the Gusau Institute of Nigeria and the Institute of African Studies of Zhejiang Normal University, aims to facilitate mutual understanding, enhance traditional friendship, and inject vitality to the economic cooperation and trade between China and Nigeria.  

Ambassador Cui Jianchun pointed out that China has long been trying to help African countries achieve development in various fields as a leader. At present, the Nigerian leaders attach greater importance to collaboration with China, which has brought about new momentum for the bilateral cooperation. The partnership between the Institute of African Studies of Zhejiang Normal University and the Gusau Institute of Nigeria has played a positive role in boosting the bilateral people-to-people exchanges and practical cooperation. I hope more of such partnerships will emerge between our two countries.  

Mohamed Ibn Chambas, African Union (AU) High Representative for Silencing the Guns made a keynote speech entitled "Energizing Africa-China Cooperation in Achieving Peace". Chambas said, China-Africa relations have undergone rapid development since the 21st century. As China has a growing number of partners in Africa, its investment will help Africa build a more peaceful and prosperous African continent. China has always supported Africa in seeking its own solutions to problems. It has made tremendous achievements in reform and opening-up, and its experience in development is worth learning for Africa.

Liu Hongwu said that the Sino-African cooperation is an important part of the South-South cooperation. Under the framework of the Belt and Road cooperation, more and more Chinese enterprises have come to Nigeria to invest and build up factories. For example, the completion of the Lekki Free Trade Zone and the Abuja-Kaduna Railway has injected new impetus into Nigeria's economic development and continuously improved the local livelihood. 

Lv Xuejun pointed out that faced with rising global challenges, adherence to peaceful development and win-win cooperation is the only right path. The visions of a human community with a shared future and the Belt and Road Initiative have constantly connected different parties for in-depth cooperation. China supports the eight major steps to jointly pursue high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and will make unremitting efforts to promote the realization of modernization of many countries, and will also advance both sides to create China-Africa relations for a new era. 

Four panels were set up in this forum, including "Combating Maritime Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea", "Using Duty-free Access to Close the Trade Deficit Gap", "Infrastructure Development and Financial Constraints", and "China-Africa Educational Exchange and Industrial Capacity Cooperation". 

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