By Sheriff Ghali Ibrahim, Abuja
The idea that China and Nigeria share uncountable features in culture, tradition, demography and economic strength in our diversity and nuanced continental structuration, provides a glimps of the Global Governance Initiative. Popularized by President Xi Jinping at the shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit (SCO) in Tianjin on 1 September, 2025, while addressing world leaders attending the summit.
It was however not a coincidence, but a fulfilment of a melodious symphony that defines internal connection and spiritual connectivity if you may add that to the literature of the Belt and Road Initiative. It has been in record as if President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had read the mind of President Xi Jinping when he consecutively advocated for Global Governance in three different fora by characterising the features and tenets of the GGI as advocated by President Xi.
It was first in September 9, 2023 in New Delhi, India when President Tinubu expressed Nigeria’s commitment to play a major role within the G-20 and contribute to shaping a more equitable world. Addressing world leaders at the 18th G-20 Leaders’ Summit, the Nigerian leader called for global unity and cooperation in tackling pressing challenges, fostering inclusiveness, and establishing a fairer world order.
In the second characterization of the GGI tenet by Tinubu, while acknowledging the vital role of the G-20 in shaping a rules-based world order that promotes shared prosperity and security, President Tinubu emphasized that most of today’s pressing issues are “international in character and cannot be addressed without multilateral cooperation.”
In the third characterization President Tinubu emphasized that, “this is why the role and contributions of the G-20 in shaping a new world order that is fair and rules-based cannot be over-emphasized. A world that lives as one family, but is divided by staggering income inequalities and uneven access to basic social goods by the vast majority of our people cannot result in a peaceful and secure world where shared prosperity is achieved.
In the fourth characterization, Tinubu designated that, “I hasten to add that such rules and global governance structures of our collective dreams must be collectively designed, collectively owned, and collectively managed. This is consistent with the true spirit of One Family, mutual respect, and sustainable development.
In the fifth characterization, Tinubu stressed the significance of Nigeria as beign able and fit, not to be ignored with its potentials to contribute greatly to global governance. Tinubu posited that: “Nigeria is poised, able and willing to be a major player in this family of the G-20 and in shaping a new world, without whom, the family will remain incomplete.”
Secondly, in september 5, 2024, during his address to the leaders attending the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), President Tinubu clearly injected the spirit of global governance to the audience, when in his first injection stressed on the need to embrace multilateralism and cooperative partnership over protectionism in achieving global peace and security.
Thirdly, President Tnubu in July 7, 2025, at the 17th meeting of the Global South and the Emerging Economies Bloc (BRICS) in Brazil, campaigned for the reevaluation of the current global governance structure and the financial and healthcare systems, urging greater equity and inclusion for low-income and emerging economies, particularly in Africa.
In his second campaign, President Tinubu stated that environmental degradation, the climate crisis, and healthcare inequalities should receive more attention, as they contribute to slowing growth and development.
In its utmost and just popularization, President Xi Jinping saw it imperative to theoretically and philosophically reevaluate the coinage of the concept of global governance where in his characterization, injection and campaign it is hinged on action, not verbal analogy, but practical adaptation and implementation for harmonious international system.
Knowing fully that the international system is characterized by superiority complex, subjugation of weaker nations and exploitation of the vulnerable states, President Xi called for the reevaluation of the global governance system and called for an active commitment to sovereign equality of independent states. The spirit of slavery, colonialism, neocolonialism and imperialism has already polarized the global system, seeing others as second class human or practically do not deserve the natural fundamental freedom of humanity. This has been reevaluated!
Knowing clearly that there are states who place themselves beyond and above the international law, president Xi called for a commitment to internatonal rule of law, where no state is above the law. The national arrogance embodied by some states with blatant breach of the laws of the society of states disrup the international legal system and thereby making the global system anarchical as described by Thucydides, Macheavelli and Hobbes.
Knowing vividly that the world has undergone a solid stuctural imbalance, polarization and balkanization, where the hitherto world system collapsed, which ushered the bipolar and unipolar international systems, reevaluation of this structure that governs the system has become indispensably desirable. President Called for commitment to multilateralism where an inclusive international system is promised built on equality, fairness and justice.
Knowing unequivocally that the needs of the people have been replace by the needs of oligarhcs, war mongers and politicians, President Xi made a reevaluation of the international governance system and came up with an idea of commitment to people centred approach. The people should be considered first in virtually everything that relates to governance either locally or internationally.
Knowing practically that world leaders are not oblivious of the significance of equality, inclusion and multilateralism, arrogance, interest and the drive to dominate others have made them face a sheer fiasco. President Xi reevaluated the trend and called for comitment to real results, not tea summits, not verbal promises and propaganda.
It is therefore, significant to accept the fact that Nigeria and China agree to the Bandung spirit of freedom, equality and inclusive governance; it is ideal to comprehend the symphony between Nigeria and China in consolidating efforts towards multilateralism and sovereign equality of states; it is vital to mention that Nigeria and China belonging to the South-South Cooperation call for a new internatiobnal order, in which justice will reign, rule of law wuill flourish; it is also imperative to internalize that Nigeria upholds the Bandung spirit of Non-alignment, but struggles to regain African personality within the comity of nations. It is also intellectual to understand that both China and Nigeria advocate for the developing nations to be included in global governance, sovereign equality, multilateral institutionalization and lead such a great voice to be more vociferous today in the reevaluation and reorganization of the global governance system.
Sheriff Ghali Ibrahim is the Director, Contemporary China-Africa Research And Head Of The International Centre, University Of Abuja.
