Chinese officials from Wuhan, China, have paid a courtesy visit to the Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Prof Adamu Ahmed, in a move aimed at deepening agricultural research and technology collaboration between Nigeria and China.
The delegation was received on Monday, January 19, 2026, at the Vice-Chancellor’s Conference Room, Main Campus, Samaru, Zaria. The visit marked a follow-up to earlier engagements between representatives of the university and Chinese institutions on agricultural development and innovation.
Briefing the Vice-Chancellor, the Director of the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), Prof Ado Yusuf, explained that the engagement stemmed from a meeting he attended two months earlier at the China–Africa Development Forum in Wuhan, where he represented the Vice-Chancellor. According to him, it was during the forum that discussions were initiated on potential areas of collaboration with IAR, particularly in seed production and development.
Prof Yusuf disclosed that at the forum he met Prof Guo Bao Yuan, with whom he explored opportunities for joint research, technology transfer, and agricultural innovation. He said Prof Guo later promised to make a follow-up visit to Nigeria to advance the discussions, a commitment that culminated in the current visit to ABU.
Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Senator Mubarak Ahmad Tijjani from Abuja said the team was at the university to partner on a policy framework that had been solidified some weeks earlier in China. He noted that the partnership was intended to activate what he described as the second cornerstone of agricultural development and food security.
According to Tijjani, the Chinese team was proposing the establishment of a joint technology transfer and incubation centre linking Hubei Province and IAR. He explained that for the partnership to be effective, Nigeria required strong local anchors, adding that IAR’s experienced researchers were critical to ensuring successful technology transfer and improved food security outcomes in the country.
He emphasised that Nigeria was ready for the collaboration, noting that by hosting the incubation centre, IAR would not only function as a research institute but also serve as a China–Nigeria incubation hub focused on applied agricultural solutions.
Also speaking, Prof Guo Bao Yuan of the Hubei Provincial Technology Market Association thanked the Vice-Chancellor for the warm reception accorded to the delegation. He recalled that Prof Ado Yusuf had earlier visited Wuhan, describing the city as home to one of the highest concentrations of on-campus students in China. Prof Guo said that during that visit, both parties finalised the signing of two Memoranda of Understanding.
He further explained that in September 2024, Bola Ahmed Tinubu visited China, where discussions were held on strengthening bilateral relations, particularly in agricultural development. He thanked the ABU management for its openness and willingness to collaborate.
In his response, Prof Ahmed stated that Nigeria’s relationship with China was founded on mutual respect. He noted that in terms of technology, China remained a global reference point, adding that the decision to collaborate with ABU, especially IAR, was encouraging. He assured the delegation of the university’s full support and commitment, stressing that ABU would continue to build on its existing partnerships with Chinese institutions and companies.
The Vice-Chancellor was supported at the meeting by members of the university management and senior academics from IAR and the Faculty of Agriculture.
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