Ehizuelen Michael Mitchell Omoruyi, director of the Nigerian Studies Center at the Institute of African Studies, Zhejiang Normal University, published an article in the China Daily on July 20. In his article, Prof. Ehizuelen affirmed that the Belt and Road Initiative, together with the Global Development Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative, and the Global Security Initiative, is an effective response for the world’s shared economic challenges.

The article pointed out that since the launch of the BRI in 2013, China has signed more than 200 cooperation documents with 151 countries and 32 international organizations on the joint construction of the Belt and Road. On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the BRI, China is expanding its high-level opening up.

In the face of regional and global instability, the world wonders how to deal with the risk of conflicts among great powers. What is gratifying is that China has always believed that mutually beneficial cooperation and interdependence are major guarantees for peaceful coexistence.

Under the framework of the BRI, China and African countries have strengthened cooperation to accelerate the economic development of the African continent. The achievements of China-Africa cooperation are evident to all. In fact, in the past ten years, African nations have built many large-scale and economically beneficial infrastructures, such as roads, railways, and ports.

The article further states that in the field of transportation, since the beginning of the new century, China has helped Africa build more than 6,000 kilometers of railways, 6,000 kilometers of roads, and nearly 20 ports. The Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway in Ethiopia, the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway in Kenya, and the Abuja-Kaduna Railway in Nigeria have connected the African continent.

Such upgrades in local infrastructure have generated major improvements in the productivity of Africa's agricultural and industrial sectors, and Ethiopia is one of the beneficiaries. Thanks to China’s valuable contributions and its own reforms, Ethiopia’s economy is growing at an average annual rate of 10%.

China has not only given a big boost to hydropower in Ethiopia, but also helped build several large industrial parks. The Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway and Djibouti port, built with China’s aid, have become strategic import and export channels for Ethiopia.

The Lekki Deep Sea Port in Nigeria, a project undertaken by a Chinese company, is the largest deepwater port in West Africa. It is expected to create an overall economic benefit of nearly 360 billion USD and 170,000 jobs, injecting vitality into the Nigerian economy.

In terms of education, China enrolls more students from Africa than from the United States and the United Kingdom. China has also established research and development centers in several African countries, especially in the fields of agriculture and medicine. With the help of the Health Silk Road, China has helped African countries improve their vaccine production capacity.

Various data show that the BRI is crucial to the interconnection of African infrastructure and the economic development of the African continent. We look forward to another successful decade for the initiative, further advancing the world economy. On this basis, the international community will move towards peace, harmony, and prosperity. (Source: China Daily, edited from the original text by Ehizuelen Michael Mitchell Omoruyi, English text edited by Kendra Fiddler)

  浙江师范大学非洲研究院尼日利亚研究中心主任迈克尔·埃祖仑7月20日在《中国日报》撰文称，“一带一路”倡议与全球发展倡议、全球文明倡议和全球安全倡议一道，为全世界应对共同经济挑战带来了希望。

       “一带一路”扎实推进

       文章指出，自2013年“一带一路”倡议提出以来，中国已同151个国家和32个国际组织签署了200余份共建“一带一路”合作文件。在“一带一路”10周年之际，中国正在扩大高水平对外开放。

       面对地区乃至全球动荡局势，全世界都想知道如何应对可能引发大国冲突的风险。令人欣慰的是，中国始终相信，合作共赢、相互依存是和平共处的重大保障。

       在“一带一路”框架下，中国与非洲国家加强合作，加速推动非洲大陆经济发展。中非合作成果有目共睹，十年来，非洲修建许多大规模、颇具经济效益的基础设施，比如公路、铁口、港口和体育场馆。

       “一带一路”硕果累累

       文章进一步表示，在交通运输领域，新世纪以来，中国帮助非洲修建超过6000公里铁路、6000公里公路，建设近20个港口。埃塞俄比亚亚的斯亚贝巴—吉布提铁路，肯尼亚的蒙巴萨—内罗毕铁路，尼日利亚的阿布贾—卡杜纳铁路让非洲大陆实现互联互通。

       优化升级的基础设施提升了非洲农业和工业领域的生产力，埃塞俄比亚就是受益者之一。得益于中国的宝贵贡献以及自身推进的改革，埃塞俄比亚的经济正以年均10%的速度增长。

       中国不仅大力推动埃塞俄比亚的水力发电，而且帮助建设多个大型工业园区，这些工业园区向国内外市场提供汽车等产品。中国援建的亚的斯亚贝巴—吉布提铁路和吉布提港已经成为埃塞俄比亚重要的进出口通道。

       由中企承建的尼日利亚莱基深水港是西非最大的深水港，预计将创造近3600亿美元总体经济效益和17万个工作岗位，为尼日利亚经济注入活力。

       在教育方面，中国比英美吸纳了更多的非洲留学生。中国在多个非洲国家建立了研究和发展中心，特别面向农业和医药领域。借助“健康丝绸之路”，中国助力非洲国家提升了疫苗生产能力。

       各项数据表明，“一带一路”倡议对非洲基础设施互联互通和非洲大陆经济发展至关重要。

       总而言之，“一带一路”倡议对发展中国家大有助益。我们期待该倡议迎来又一个成功的十年，进一步推动世界经济发展。在此基础上，国际社会将迈向和平、和谐与繁荣。（中国日报网  作者： 迈克尔·埃祖仑）