The Central Bank of Nigeria has met Nigerian and Chinese corporate and financial leaders in Beijing to explore ways to make bilateral payments easier, reinforce banking links and encourage greater investment between the two countries.
Key takeaways
- The Nigeria-China financial roundtable was held in Beijing on October 21, 2026.
- Participants examined obstacles affecting cross-border transactions and potential solutions.
- The CBN aims to use stronger macroeconomic conditions to attract more investment and expand financial-market activity.
- Business representatives from Blue Diamond Group and CIG Motors contributed views from companies active in both markets.
Building a stronger financial corridor
The high-level business and finance meeting formed part of the CBN’s broader push to deepen Nigeria’s financial markets while removing barriers that complicate transactions between the Nigerian and Chinese economies. Held on Wednesday at the Pan Pacific Beijing, the event was titled “Strengthening the Nigeria-China Financial Corridor.”
It brought together executives, investors, bankers and other financial-sector participants with operations spanning the two markets.
CBN Governor Olayemi Cardoso said direct discussions with businesses are essential to identifying both the commercial opportunities and the constraints shaping financial activity between Nigeria and China.
A clearer understanding of those issues, he said, can guide efforts to create more developed and accessible financial markets and improve financial connectivity between the two countries.
Investment and transaction challenges
Philip Ikeazor, the CBN’s Deputy Governor for Economic Policy, opened the roundtable with remarks focused on converting Nigeria’s improving macroeconomic fundamentals into stronger investment inflows and more advanced financial markets.
Nigeria’s Ambassador to China, retired Lieutenant General Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau, also spoke during the gathering.
Business perspectives were provided by Festus Mbisiogu, chairperson of Blue Diamond Group, and Chief Diana Chen, chairperson of CIG Motors. Both addressed the experience of businesses operating along the Nigeria-China economic corridor.
A central element of the meeting was an interactive discussion in which attendees identified practical difficulties in making financial transactions between Nigeria and China, alongside opportunities to improve the flow of payments, banking services and investment.
