To ensure the best medical practice, the People’s Republic of China and the Federal Government of Nigeria on Friday signed a letter of intent to improve the health sector of both countries.
Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Cui Jianchun, and Nigeria’s Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, signed the document on behalf of both countries in Abuja.
Cui Jianchun disclosed that the project was one of the nine programmes initiated by Chinese President, Xi Jinping, during the 8th Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) on public hygiene and public health.
He said that the pioneer project, which will be implemented by the People’s University Hospital in Beijing and the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, will address the public health challenges in both countries.
Cui said it would also create an opportunity for both countries to share knowledge, and experience, improve health service delivery, and research and development of new medicines and vaccines.
“So today (Friday), what we are doing is about public health and this agreement will be a historic moment where the two countries will work together not only for the pandemic.
“I do believe that the two sides in the cooperation between hospitals, the Abuja University Teaching Hospital and the China Beijing University People’s Hospital can work together.
“Not only in the areas of technology but share information about the solutions.
“Nigeria and China, have huge populations that we need public health and I do believe that today’s agreement is important in the long run for the two countries.
“China attaches great importance to Nigeria; we are doing a lot of things for the future cooperation, including the medicines, how can we work together to produce the traditional medicines in Nigeria.
“I will work hard with colleagues to make sure that with this agreement we can open a new chapter for China-Nigeria relations in this public health sector.
“I do believe that the Chinese experts, technology can benefit Nigeria and also we can learn from the Nigerian side your practice and experience from the government and hospital levels,” Cui said.
Earlier in his address, Ehanire said that the initiative would also help Nigeria diversify knowledge and skills, and learn from the successes of China.
“The main purpose in the signing of the Memorandum of Intent between the government of Nigeria and the government of China for close cooperation between the People’s University Hospital in Beijing and the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital.
“The hospital tradition here in Nigeria is derived from the British tradition, from the time we have related to them from the pre-colonial time up till independence, most of the training were from England.
“But it is extremely important to diversify knowledge, diversify experience and to know what are the best practices in China and what can we take from there to add to ours.
“And what can they also learn from us because there is no end to knowledge.
“This is an excellent and welcome opportunity to exchange knowledge, and practices and learn from each other, to also go on with research and development.
“And in our case go on with clinical trials, we are also ready for that and we are also discussing areas of cooperation in vaccine production”, Ehanire said.