President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Mr. Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe to serve as the Director-General and Global Liaison for the Nigeria-China strategic partnership.
The appointment of JT as he is popularly called by his admirers was announced on Sunday through a State House press release signed by Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga.
Describing Mr. Tegbe as fitting for the new role, the press statement stated that, “As the czar of the strategic partnership, he will lead day-to-day operations, engage continuously with the Chinese counterparts, and ensure that all deliverables are met and synchronised with national development goals.
“In the strategic plan, he will outline the specific deliverables, timelines, and key performance indicators for each area of cooperation. This will include priority projects, projected investments and expected socioeconomic outcomes.”
Tegbe as former senatorial aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo state, is a 1988 first-class graduate in civil engineering from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife.
He is also a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA) and a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria.
Part of Onanuga’s statement reads, “Recall that at the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), President Xi Jinping pledged 360 billion yuan, or about $51 billion, in new financing to African nations in the next three years.
“During his official visit before the FOCAC, President Tinubu also obtained a commitment from President Xi to support Nigeria’s economic diversification plans, infrastructure development, technology transfer, and job creation.”