On the afternoon of June 22, CIB Chairman Lv Jiajin met with Olusegun Alebiosu, CEO of First Bank of Nigeria, in Beijing. They held in-depth discussions on topics such as the global economic and financial situation, RMB internationalization, and future cooperation between the two parties.
Lv Jiajin welcomed Olusegun Alebiosu and his delegation, briefly introducing the basic situation and international development of CIB. He mentioned that the friendship between China and Africa has a long history, and cooperation between China and Nigeria continues to deepen. Nigeria, as Africa's largest economy, is a significant strategic partner for China in Africa and plays an important role in the joint construction of the "Belt and Road Initiative". Lv expressed hope that both parties would fully seize the strategic opportunities presented by the high-quality construction of the "Belt and Road Initiative" and RMB internationalization. He suggested exploring cooperation opportunities in areas such as RMB cross-border settlement and the issuance of RMB bonds in Hong Kong to elevate China-Nigeria and China-Africa economic and trade cooperation to new heights.
Olusegun Alebiosu introduced the development history, global layout, international management, and branch management of First Bank of Nigeria. He expressed strong confidence in the prospects of China-Nigeria and China-Africa economic and trade cooperation and aims to further expand their business in China. Alebiosu hopes to strengthen communication and explore cooperation potential in key areas such as RMB internationalization, thus promoting more practical outcomes in bilateral economic and trade cooperation.
First Bank of Nigeria, established in 1894, is Nigeria's oldest financial institution and a leading bank in West Africa. It provides comprehensive services to over 42 million customers through more than 820 business outlets and 233,500 agency banking outlets across multiple countries, including the UK, France, and various African nations. The bank leads in financing infrastructure construction in Nigeria and is one of Africa's most sustainable financial service brands. In 2010, it established a representative office in Beijing.
Senior officials from CIB's Transaction Banking Department and the Hong Kong Branch, as well as the chief representative of First Bank of Nigeria's Beijing Representative Office, attended the meeting.