Signing of accords

Jonathan met President Xi Jinping on Wednesday. The two presidents presided overthe signing of accords between their governments, which reportedly will facilitate $1.1billion in low-interest loans for infrastructure in Nigeria.

Xinhua News Agency said in a commentary on Thursday that the visit would boostrelations between the world's second-largest economy and the second-biggesteconomy in Africa.

As a resource-rich country with some 70 percent of its population under the age of 30,Nigeria has enviable growth potential and offers valuable business opportunities forChina, Xinhua said.

China in 2012 became the largest importer of oil from the West African nation due tothe decline in US oil imports from Nigeria. Revenues generated from oil account forabout 80 percent of Nigerian government revenues.

According to the latest UN forecast, by mid-century Nigeria will have a larger populationthan the US. By 2100, the African nation could be the second-most populous country inthe world.

Its economy is also one of the most promising on the African continent, with an annualgrowth rate of about 7 percent over most of the past decade.

Jonathan also met top legislator Zhang Dejiang on Thursday, and leaders ofcompanies including Sinopec, Huawei and ZTE.

He also participated in a special session of the Nigeria-China Investment Forum, whichwas attended by leading Chinese investors and their Nigerian counterparts.