• This Day (Nigeria) aagm: Political Economy of Sustainable Democracy in Nigeria (2)

Chinese President Hu Jintao and visiting Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo attended the signing ceremony in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on April 14 for the MOU (memorandum of understanding) on Nigerian Telecom General Service and the agreement on Huawei's investment in Nigeria. The two deals are inked by China Huawei Technologies and Nigerian Ministry of Communications.
Huawei will provide its CDMA450 technology for the communication service in Nigeria's rural areas. Huawei's US$200 million worth of solution will give access to communications service for 220 local governments in Nigeria to make the communication coverage double in the African country. It will also facilitate the development of e-education and e-health care there.
Huawei has made a well-established presence in Nigeria since it entered into the market in 1999. It became the largest telecom equipment provider in Nigeria with its US$340 million sales which is expected to rise to US$600 million this year.
Talks on rural communications began between Huawei and Nigerian Ministry of Communications at the beginning of 2001.
Document BDU0000020050418e14i00015
China Telecommunications Daily News

Nigeria's Ministry of Communications to Introduce Huawei's CDMA450 Wireless Solutions

165 words

18 April 2005

China Industry Daily News

BJEIND

English

Copyright 2005. Beijing Xinhua InfoLink Development Co Ltd/CINIC. All Rights Reserved.
2005-4-18
China's leading telecoms equipment provider Huawei Technologies on April 14 signed cooperative agreements with Nigeria's Ministry of Communications to provide the latter CDMA450 universal service, and China Development Bank shall provide a loan of US$ 200 million for the service provision.
CDMA450 wireless access technology is the most effective technology and means to improve the communications in remote rural areas, and is preferred by most of the countries to address their deficiencies in information technology
For this cooperation, the CDMA450 wireless solutions will raise Nigeria's communication coverage by more than one fold, and also promote the country's development in remote education, remote medical treatment and other fields.
Huawei began to enter Nigerian market in 1999, and has won the recognitions form numerous operators with its advanced technologies and excellent services, and established partnership with major operators including Nitel, MTN, Vmobile, Globacom, Starcoms.
Document BJEIND0020050418e14i0000k
Roundup: Asia, Africa hand in hand in new strategic partnership
774 words

16 April 2005

Xinhua News Agency

XNEWS

English

(c) Copyright 2005 Xinhua News Agency
By Chen Ming
JOHANNESBURG, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Asia, the fastest economically growing continent, and Africa, the most underdeveloped region with rich resources in the world, will launch a new strategic partnership during their summit in Indonesia next week.
The partnership will be initiated by over 50 heads of state from the two regions, including Chinese President Hu Jintao and South African President Thabo Mbeki, when they gather in Jakarta from April 22 to 23 for the Asia-Africa Summit.
The new strategic partnership will serve as a bridge for Asian and African countries, giving them chances to discuss and solve common problems and difficulties, while at the same time to work on regional coherence and the strengthening of international multilateralism, local analysts said.
Political analysts here say the move will mark the most important milestone in the history of relations between the two largest continents on earth in the 21st century. It will revitalize the spirit of the Bandung Asian-African Conference in 1955.
As South African Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said: "African and Asian countries will retrace their steps to Bandung with the hope to strengthen not only the political ties but also the economic ties that will bring self-reliance for sustainable development in Asia and Africa."
The rationale is rooted in the current reality and the global challenges facing the two continents. Though Asian and African countries have made significant political advances, they have not yet attained commensurate progress in social and economic spheres, observers say.
Analysts believe that despite the opportunities offered by globalization, many countries in Asia and Africa continue to be marginalized. There is therefore a need to actively pursue a common view and collective action to ensure the equitable sharing of the benefits of globalization.
It is essential that Africa and Asia, who have been left behind in many ways, bolster cooperation to take concerted and pragmatic approaches for the interests of both continents.
Meanwhile, Africa and Asia can learn from each other's experiences in a number of key areas such as agriculture, trade and investment liberalization, human resource development, information and telecommunications technologies.
Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo has pledged to further enhance mutual cooperation with China, saying that "China is the biggest developing country in the world, while Nigeria is the biggest in Africa. It is by no means to over-emphasize the importance of the need to consolidate and push forward the cooperation between the two countries."
Martyn Davies, director for research & strategy at business consulting group Emerging Market Focus in South Africa, told Xinhua that the dynamic economies in China and India provide a good example for African countries to learn and follow.
"The role of the so-called developmental state in under- developed Africa is being re-evaluated in light of China's economic success ... China's phenomenal growth success story is resulting in a questioning of traditional 'western-style market economics' and its application in the developing world," he said.
China's combination of a socialist political model and a market economy makes it a hybrid developmental model. China's state-led approach is a means to a competitive national economy that can eventually operate in the free international market, Davies added.
China's emergence as a commercial partner of Africa, and its willingness to accept the political disposition of its African partners, will continue to guarantee China's welcome and commercial presence on the continent.
Total China-Africa trade volume reached about 30 billion US dollars last year, a drastic increase of 59 percent over 2003. Growth has increased at an average rate of 31.2 percent each year since 2001. With pending trade liberalization with South Africa, China's main trading partner in Africa, the growth trend will remain strong.
Besides trade, China has made investments totaling about one billion dollars in 49 African countries.
India, another giant Asian country, is also vigorously expanding its political and economic influence over the African continent. Its investment covers more than 20 African countries.
As an economic giant in Asia, Japan is also helping African countries to develop sustainably. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has called on African leaders to learn from Asia's economic development declaring: "There will be no stability and prosperity in the world in the twenty-first century unless the problems of Africa are solved."
Many Asian countries have declared their support to Africa which is ready to stand on its own feet and take a major step forward with the African Union and the New Partnership for Africa' s Development as the vehicles for further development.
Document XNEWS00020050419e14g0020f

Chinese telephone firm to invest in Nigeria
552 words

16 April 2005

11:07 AM

BBC Monitoring Africa

BBCAP

English

(c) 2005 The British Broadcasting Corporation. All Rights Reserved. No material may be reproduced except with the express permission of The British Broadcasting Corporation.
Text of report by Nigerian NTA TV from Abuja on 14 April
[Presenter] Nigeria and China have signed four agreements aimed at boosting existing relationship between the two countries. The agreements follow talks between officials of both countries led by Nigeria's President Olusegun Obasanjo, who is in China on a three-day visit, and his host, the president of China. State House correspondent Sola Atere, reports.
[Atere] The four agreements signed by top officials of both countries are the agreement on economic and technical cooperation, a protocol on the establishment of a working group of investment cooperation, a memorandum of understanding for Nigeria's universal telephony project, and cooperation agreement for the investment of a Chinese telecommunications company, Huawei Technologies, in Nigeria. As a result of the agreement, the company is expected to establish two manufacturing plants for telecommunication terminals and handsets.
Trade between Nigeria and China is said to have increased by 17 per cent to over 2bn dollars a year. Nigeria is seeking assistance in the areas of modernization of her railways, power generation, tourism, more Chinese involvement in manufacturing, as well as agriculture, where Nigeria wants favourable tariffs for her export products, including cassava.
Presidential spokesperson Mrs Oluremi Oyo said that both countries also explored collaboration in defence industry.
[Oyo] President Olusegun Obasanjo spoke of the historic role China has played in the emancipation of Africa and he said that for Africa, especially Nigeria, we will continue to learn from China's history, its present and, the great future that awaits it, and that that has compelled Nigeria to seek strategic alliance with China. He said for Africa, he hopes that China will help in resolving conflicts in Africa as it is currently doing and that - particularly because peace and security are foundations of development.
[Atere] China commended Nigeria's quality of recognizing one China, thus denying support for Taiwan's autonomy. Consequently, China has said that it will not support any such move in any part of the world.
President Obasanjo, who is being accompanied by the first lady, Stella, ministers and businessmen, was before the talks officially welcomed to China by the Chinese leader, Hu Jintao, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
The Nigerian delegation was also hosted to a banquet by the Chinese leader, who described President Obasanjo has a renowned statesman who is highly respected in China. While the first lady was engaged in separate programmes during the state visit, the president will tomorrow tour the Chinese space research centre and address the Nigeria/China business forum, apart from granting audience to African heads of mission and a meeting with members of the Nigerian community. He will also receive an honorary doctorate degree in international relations and politics from the Beijing University in addition to participating at the launching of the Chinese translation of one of his books entitled This Animal Called Man.
The president will be meeting the immediate past Chinese president, Mr Jiang Zemin, who once visited Nigeria before handing over to the current leader last year. President Obasanjo is also expected to visit the three gorges dam project, the exhibition centre, and also tour a communication company, Alcatel Shanghai Bell.
Source: NTA TV, Abuja, in English 2000 gmt 14 Apr 05
Document BBCAP00020050416e14g001e1

Books:

Salaam Brick Lane by Tarquin Hall 270pp, John Murray, pounds 16.99 T pounds 14.99 (plus pounds 2.25 p&p) 0870 1557222 Meet the real East Enders

By Peter Parker

784 words

16 April 2005

The Daily Telegraph

DT

005

English

(c) 2005 Telegraph Group Limited, London
London's East End has always exerted a fascination upon those fortunate enough not to have been born there. Henry Mayhew scuttled back to civilisation after penetrating the district's teeming courts and rookeries to conduct his investigations of London Labour and the London Poor (1851), but other outsiders have actually moved in. In 1936, Hugh Massingham described his experiences in the quaintly titled I Took off my Tie, but the most famous temporary resident was Jack London, who made a more drastic sartorial adjustment, living rough among what he called The People of the Abyss (1902). As recently as 1987, a theological student called William Taylor was sent to Spitalfields by the Bishop of Oxford in order ``to learn a little humility''; he spent seven years there, recording his residency in This Bright Field (2000). And now comes Tarquin Hall, who spent ``A Year in the New East End'' because he couldn't afford to live anywhere else.
Having lived abroad for 10 years working as a journalist, Hall returned to England to discover that even a small flat in the leafy purlieus of Richmond, where he had been brought up, was way beyond his means. So he found himself living in a squalid attic flat above a leather-clothing shop on Brick Lane. The owner of the building is a Bangladeshi called Mr Ali and the basement houses an illegal sweat-shop making goods for his shop. The other occupant of the building is Sadie, an elderly Jewish widow, who makes revolting chicken noodle soup and is devoted to her decrepit Siamese cat. Amongst the other characters Hall encounters are his asylum-seeker neighbours, Gul Muhammad (from Afghanistan) and Big and Little Sasa (from Kosovo); a ``local businessman'' called Chalky, whose activities include carp smuggling; Naziz, the young British Bangladeshi who sees reading and writing as a means of escape from an unhappy home life; and Shaik and Muksood, who set up a taxi service without any cars. In rendering the New Babel of Brick Lane, Hall gives voices to all these people - some more effectively than others. His phonetic approximation of Cockney seems overdone, but the rhythms and vocabulary of Mr Singh, the local newsagent, are spot on, and Mrs Suri, the redoubtable ``auntie'' (in fact no relation) of Hall's American-born Indian fiancIe, will be instantly recognisable to anyone who has encountered the subcontinental matriarch in full interfering flow. Gradually, however, what started out as a series of entertaining character sketches turns into an instructive investigation of ``Englishness''. Although the area round Brick Lane is now known as ``Banglatown'' and boasts street signs in English and Bengali, the Bangladeshi residents (mostly from Sylhet) are merely one of several waves of immigration absorbed by the East End. Escaping Catholic persecution, the Huguenots arrived in Spitalfields in the 17th century and colonised the area to such an extent that French was the language most often heard there. In the 19th century, it was the turn of the Jews, fleeing pogroms, and Yiddish became the lingua franca. Indeed, the first Sylhetis arrived as long ago as the mid-18th century, lascars hired in Calcutta to work on the ships of the East India Company and often abandoned, unpaid, when they reached the London docks. Today, among the people visiting a Whitechapel call centre to phone home, Hall identifies Afghans, Burmese, Chinese, Congolese, Iraqis, Kosovars, Liberians, Nigerians, Senegalese, Sri Lankans and Lithuanians. Hall is enlisted by Aktar, a demanding Calcuttan anthropologist, to find some East End families who are ``100 per cent English''. He produces a couple in Bethnal Green, but to Aktar's dismay even these ``real'' East Enders - dropping their aitches, draping their house with the flag of St George and banging on about immigration - turn out to be of gypsy and Irish descent. Similarly, Mr Ali may wear a traditional salwar, but over Levis and alligator-skin boots, and he speaks a sort of Bangladeshi mockney. Aktar decides that the English are ``unconquerable'' because their way of dealing with other races and cultures is to welcome them, absorb them and eventually make them their own. Indeed, what Hall experiences of ``Cockney culture'' (nostalgia for the thuggish reign of the Krays, inedible pie-and-mash) has little to recommend it. While Hall does not sidestep the problems raised by immigration, his forthright and funny book is a timely reminder of the revitalising effect ``foreigners'' have had on the mongrel race that proudly describes itself as ``the English''.
Document DT00000020050416e14g0003z

Nigeria, China sign investment agreements
422 words

16 April 2005

11:02 AM

BBC Monitoring Africa

BBCAP

English

(c) 2005 The British Broadcasting Corporation. All Rights Reserved. No material may be reproduced except with the express permission of The British Broadcasting Corporation.
Text of report by Radio Nigeria from Lagos on 14 April
[Presenter] Nigerians can now look forward to another service provider in telecommunications before the end of this year. The telecommunications service would come under the Nigeria universal telecommunication service project whose memorandum of understanding was one of the major agreements signed today in Beijing after several hours of bilateral negotiations between Nigeria and China.
Adeyinka Amosu reports that Nigeria and China also entered into fresh agreements on economic and technical cooperation as well as establishment of working groups on investments. Adeyinka Amosu is on the line from Beijing.
[Rendition of Nigerian national anthem]
[Amosu] A beautiful rendition of Nigeria's national anthem as part of state ceremonies formally announcing the commencement of President Obasanjo's visit and the subsequent business negotiations on virtually all fronts. President Hu Jintao of China has described his guest, the Nigerian leader, as a world-class renowned patriot who was highly respected by the Chinese. President Obasanjo, however, alerted his host at the commencement of the talk that the negotiations may be prolonged as he also intends to expand the frontier and scope of deliberation.
[Obasanjo] I am in here in more than one capacity. I am here in my capacity as the president of Nigeria, I am also here in the capacity as the chairman of AU [African Union].
[Amosu] The president's spokesperson, Mrs Oluremi Oyo, who was part of the closed-door negotiations, emerged with the details.
[Oyo] As always with Nigerian relations, President Obasanjo spoke about the economic reform agenda of his government. He also spoke on the need for them to collaborate in the area of power generation, in agriculture, and water resources management.
[Amosu] Three state governors, Olagunsoye Oyinlola of Osun, Bukola Saraki of Kwara, and Gbenga Daniel of Ogun states, were all part of the negotiations. Communications Minister Cornelius Adebayo and many other ministerial cabinets were also present with many of them signing some of these agreements on behalf of Nigeria.
The Chinese translation of one of the books written by President Olusegun Obasanjo: "This Animal Call Man" is to be presented to the public tomorrow here in Beijing while the Perkins University [as heard] is to confer an honorary doctorate degree in international relations and politics on the Nigerian leader.
The president will later meet with the Nigerian community here in China and also address the Nigeria/China business forum.
Source: Radio Nigeria-Lagos Channel 1 in English 2100 gmt 14 Apr 05
Document BBCAP00020050416e14g001b9
China, Nigeria sign economic agreements, promising to build strategic partnersh
478 words

15 April 2005

Xinhua's China Economic Information Service

XNHA

English

(c) 2005 Xinhua News Agency. All Rights Reserved
BEIJING, April 15 (CEIS) -- China and Nigeria signed five economic agreements on April 14, promising to upgrade their relations to a "strategic partnership."
The five agreements, covering investment, telecommunication service and technical cooperation, were signed after an hour-long talk between Chinese President Hu Jintao and Nigeria President Olusegun Obasanjo, who is in China for a four-day state visit.
China and Nigeria set up full diplomatic ties in 1971 and the trade volume between the two countries reached 2.18 billion US dollars. Nigeria is now China's second largest export market and fourth largest trade partner in Africa.
During talks with Obasanjo, Hu suggested the two sides take active measures to expand the economic and trade cooperation and further boost two-way investment.
He expressed hope that the two sides will improve cooperation in gas exploration, infrastructure construction and manufacturing industry to achieve common development.
He suggested the countries enhance political trust through high- level visits and personnel exchanges, improve consultation and coordination in international affairs and join hands to maintain the interests of developing countries, boost south-south cooperation and promote the establishment of a fair and reasonable new international political and economic order.
Obasanjo said he agreed with Hu. He said Nigeria is now undergoing reforms to realize economic and social development.
Nigeria hopes the two sides will improve mutually beneficial cooperation in the fields of trade, investment, electric power, railway and telecommunication construction, agriculture, water conservancy, manufacturing and tourism, he said.
On the issue of China-Africa relations, Hu said the African Union is playing an increasing important role in regional affairs and the dialogue and cooperation between Africa and the international community is deepening.
Hu said improving cooperation with African countries is China's strategic choice. He highlighted the role of China-Africa Cooperation Forum in enhancing China-Africa friendship, saying that China will work together with the African countries to further promote the new China-Africa strategic partnership.
Obasanjo, who is also visiting China in the capacity of rotating president of the African Union, said the African people will never forget China's support in their struggle against colonialism and racial segregation.
He said Africa hopes China will support and join Africa's efforts in seeking a solution to the conflicts in the region and improving investment and economic cooperation with Africa to help it achieve peace, security and development soon.
During the talks, Hu expressed China's appreciation for Nigeria's consistent adherence to the one-China policy and its support to China's adoption of the Anti-Secession Law.
Obasanjo said Nigeria firmly abides by the one-China policy and supports China's cause of national reunification.
Obasanjo arrived in Beijing on Thursday morning as Hu's guest. Besides Beijing, Obasanjo will also travel to Hubei Province and Shanghai.
Document XNHA000020050415e14f0002t

Huawei signs USD 200 mln agreement with Nigeria, plus USD 20 mln investment in manufacturing
189 words

15 April 2005

01:36 PM

Interfax China IT & Telecom Report

CHITTR

English

(c) 2005 Interfax Information Services, B.V.
Huawei Technologies, has signed a USD 200 mln telecom cooperation agreement with Nigeria's Ministry of Communications, under which China's largest telecom equipment vendor will provide CDMA 450 equipment for a nationwide network in Nigeria. The project in Nigeria will be financed by a USD 200 mln loan that the China Development Bank has agreed to provide Nigeria. Meanwhile, Huawei and the Nigerian ministry also signed an additional agreement to invest USD 20 mln to establish manufacturing facilities in Nigeria. The new CDMA450 project is expected to increase telecom coverage in Nigeria's 220 local governments, in addition to provision of online education and healthcare services. The signing ceremony took place in the Great Hall of People in Beijing and was witnessed by Chinese President Hu Jintao and visiting Nigeria President Olusegun Obasanjo. The two countries agreed to forge a closer strategic partnership during President Obasanjo's visit to China this week.
Huawei entered the Nigerian market in 1999 and currently has partnerships with Nigeria telecom operators NITEL, MTN, Vmobile, Globacom, and Starcoms.
Document CHITTR0020050429e14f0002u
Huawei signs deal with Nigerian Ministry of Communications
170 words

15 April 2005

DMAsia

DMASIA

English

© 2005, Digitalmediaasia.com & DME Ltd
Ltd. Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., the Chinese networking and communications equipment company, and Nigeria's Ministry of Communications signed a partnership agreement that is expected to further their cooperation in telecommunications.
As part of the agreement, Huawei Technologies will deploy a nation-wide CDMA450 wireless access technology across Nigeria. China Development Bank will provide Nigeria with a loan of $200m for this project. Huawei Technologies has also committed to an additional $20m manufacturing investment in Nigeria.
The CDMA450 wireless access technology is understood to be a cost-effective solution to address the telecommunications challenges faced by Nigeria. The technology reportedly provides wireless coverage of up to 60km in radius and one base station covers an area of 7,000 to 10,000 km 2 area.
Huawei hopes that the solution will help address the wireless communications needs of Nigeria's 220 local governments and increase the telecommunications coverage of the country.
Distributed for Digitalmediaasia.com via M2 Communications Ltd - www.m2.com
Document DMASIA0020050415e14f000m9

China to expand economic cooperation with Nigeria
337 words

15 April 2005

02:40 PM

BBC Monitoring Asia Pacific

BBCAPP

English

(c) 2005 The British Broadcasting Corporation. All Rights Reserved. No material may be reproduced except with the express permission of The British Broadcasting Corporation.
Text of report in English by official Chinese news agency Xinhua (New China News Agency)
Beijing, 15 April: Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao told Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo on Friday [15 April] that China wants to expand economic cooperation with Nigeria to achieve common development.
During a meeting with Obasanjo, Wen suggested that the two countries improve cooperation in energy resources exploration, infrastructure construction and equipment manufacturing.