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The Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Lagos,Yan Yuqing, has remarked that obtaining a Chinese visa is one of the simplest and most affordable processes available, revealing that last year, over 19,000 visas were issued from the Lagos State Consulate.
She noted that to promote travel to China, the visa fees were made accessible to Nigerians, mentioning that a single entry Chinese Visa costs approximately N10,500, in stark contrast to the N420,000 cost for a Nigerian Visa for Chinese nationals.
This information was shared during a media dialogue between China and Lagos held at the consulate. Other Chinese diplomatic officials present included Deputy Consul General Mr. Jin Mingyu; Director of the Bilateral Relations Department Mr. Xu Fan; Director of the Consul Staff Department Mr. Bai Jianwen; Second Secretary of the Bilateral Relations Department Mr. Wu Yunjia; Second Secretary of Bilateral Relations Mr. Luo Jianping; Consular Attache Mr. Hua Yihe, and Consular Attache Mr. Huang Zhengyuan from the Consul Staff Department.
She provided an example stating that a businessman who has previously traveled to China within the last four years only needs a commercial invitation from his Chinese partners. Conversely, if someone has never visited China, they can request that their Chinese partner submit an application through the relevant government authorities on their behalf.
Regarding China’s economy, she pointed out that in 2024, there has been an improvement in economic conditions with a GDP growth target of 5 percent. She added that in September, the government rolled out policies that substantially bolstered the economy and plans to adopt more proactive fiscal and monetary policies to aid businesses for the continued evolution of China’s economic landscape.
“Further policies will be enacted in 2025 to enhance economic governance methods. There will be a focus on actively promoting the transformation of China’s economic roles to significantly influence the quality and sustainability of economic growth,” she further stated.
Yuqing mentioned that over the past 15 years, China has consistently been one of Africa’s largest trading partners and a primary source of foreign investment on the continent. “In 2023, China's direct investment in Africa surpassed $40 billion, making Africa China's second-largest overseas contracting and engineering market, with Chinese enterprises generating a business volume of $100 billion over the previous decade,” she noted.
