World
11:49, 09-Feb-2018
Former Nigerian finance minister: Belt and Road Initiative is positive
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By CGTN's World Insight
At the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos last month, one of the biggest presences was that of female leaders. Among them was Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala who served two terms as the finance minister of Nigeria and was previously the managing director of the World Bank.
Nigeria is a middle-income mixed economy and also an emerging market. Previously hindered by years of mismanagement, economic reforms in the past decade have put Nigeria back on track towards achieving its full economic potential.
China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has created new opportunities for Africa, which has a huge need for infrastructure. But how instrumental are the efforts really? Speaking to CGTN host Tian Wei, Ngozi said Africa welcomes China’s BRI in meeting Africa’s needs.
“I think China’s Belt and Road Initiative is a good one. African countries should get involved, because it is seeking to lay down infrastructure that can improve connectivity and trade between countries, and I think that is a very good thing. But countries need to be clear that infrastructure that's put into place will really serve their needs.”
World Insight With Tian Wei is a 45-minutes global affairs and debate show on CGTN. It airs weekdays at 10:15 p.m. BJT(1415GMT) with rebroadcasts at 4:15 a.m. BJT(20:15GMT)