Fact-Check: Did President Tinubu Join China's Belt and Road Initiative? The Truth Revealed

President Bola Tinubu led a Nigerian delegation on Tuesday to consummate some trade and infrastructure bilateral agreements with China on the sidelines of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit.

Tinubu and China's President Xi Jinping witnessed the signing of at least five mutually beneficial memoranda of understanding between both nations on Tuesday.

Sharing some highlights about Tinubu's engagement in the Asian country on X on Wednesday, Segun Dada, the president's aide on new media, claimed that Tinubu had heralded Nigeria into China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

The BRI is a framework aimed at opening new trade routes for China and its state-owned enterprises with the rest of the world.

CLAIM: Tinubu signed an agreement on Tuesday to make Nigeria join China's BRI.

Dada's statement read, "Among many other MOUs signed yesterday, Nigeria through President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed an agreement with China to join the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

"But what exactly is the BRI, and how will Nigeria benefit from it? The BRI is a massive global infrastructure development project launched by China in 2013, aiming to connect over 150 countries and international organisations.

"It focuses on building six economic corridors, linked by road, rail, energy, and digital infrastructure, as well as the Maritime Silk Road, which connects China to Southeast Asia, Africa, and Europe through ports and sea routes.

"By joining the BRI, Nigeria expects to see further investments in its infrastructure, including roads, railways, ports, and energy systems. This development is expected to lead to increased economic growth, job creation, and improved connectivity with other countries. Nigeria will also benefit from access to new markets, technologies, and expertise, which could help drive its economic development.

"Nigeria through President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed an agreement with China to join the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)."

VERIFICATION: BRI was initially named the 'One Belt, One Road Initiative' (OBOR) at its launch in 2013 to help drive China's global economic transformation effort. Since its launch, more than 100 countries have subscribed to its membership as it provides a platform to raise funds for vital infrastructure in their respective countries.

Five years after its creation and long before the Tinubu presidency, Nigeria joined the BRI, FIJ has found.

In September 2018, former President Muhammadu Buhari participated in a FOCAC summit held in Beijing. During his six-day stay in China, he signed a memorandum of understanding that officially made Nigeria a member of the BRI.

"President Buhari and his Chinese host will also witness the signing of the MOU on the One Belt One Road Initiative (OBOR). It may be recalled that in 2013, the Chinese leader proposed the initiative of building the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road, with a view to integrating the development strategies of partnering countries," a presidential statement issued on September 1, 2018, read.

"During the High-Level Dialogue between Chinese and African Leaders and Business representatives on the margins of FOCAC, the Nigerian delegation is also expected to sign no fewer than 25 MOUs, including those proposed by the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), and Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA)."

The Green Finance and Development Centre (GFDC), an institution providing independent research and advisory for governments, also noted that Nigeria signed the BRI MOU on September 1, 2018.

CONCLUSION: Tinubu may have secured some funding commitment on the terms predicted by the BRI. However, the claim that he signed an agreement to make Nigeria join the initiative is false.

Records show that Nigeria had been a part of the BRI since 2018.

VERDICT: It was during the Buhari government that Nigeria joined the BRI. The claim by presidential aide Olusegun, saying it was Tinubu, is false.

FIJ