By Gabriel Ameh
As the 2030 deadline for achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) draws closer, developing countries continue to face major financing, climate, poverty and infrastructure challenges that threaten progress on the global development agenda.
Against this backdrop, China’s Global Development Initiative (GDI), launched by President Xi Jinping in 2021, has emerged as one of Beijing’s major platforms for international development cooperation.
The initiative focuses on eight priority areas: poverty reduction, food security, COVID-19 response and vaccines, development financing, climate change and green development, industrialisation, digital economy and connectivity.
Supporters of the GDI say it complements the UN 2030 Agenda by translating broad development commitments into practical cooperation, particularly across developing countries.
However, the initiative has also attracted scrutiny over its geopolitical implications and China’s expanding role in global development governance.
China Positions GDI as Development Partnership
The SDGs were adopted by UN member states in 2015 as a universal framework for tackling poverty, inequality, hunger, health, education, climate change and other global development challenges by 2030.
Progress towards the targets has been uneven, with developing countries facing limited financing and institutional capacity.
Economic shocks, climate-related disasters, debt pressures, conflicts and the lingering consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic have further complicated efforts to achieve the goals.
China has presented the GDI as a mechanism for mobilising international cooperation around some of the most pressing development challenges facing the Global South.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi recently said more than 130 countries and international organisations had supported or participated in GDI cooperation, while nearly 100 countries and international and regional organisations had signed related cooperation documents.
Wang also said more than $23 billion had been mobilised through the China-UN Peace and Development Fund, the Global Development and South-South Cooperation Fund and other financing mechanisms.
According to him, the resources have supported more than 1,800 livelihood-oriented projects and training for over 200,000 people.
Wang outlined four broad priorities for advancing the initiative: strengthening international solidarity and cooperation, accelerating progress towards the SDGs, promoting openness and mutual learning to drive innovation, and strengthening multilateralism and global governance.
From Infrastructure to Skills and Technology
Unlike perceptions of some earlier Chinese development engagements, which were often associated primarily with large infrastructure projects, the GDI places greater emphasis on health, agriculture, digital development, climate action, industrialisation and skills development.
This broader focus is significant for developing countries that require not only physical infrastructure but also the technical and institutional capacity to sustain development gains.
For instance, the initiative’s emphasis on agricultural productivity corresponds with SDG 2, which seeks to end hunger and promote sustainable agriculture.
Its focus on digital connectivity, innovation and technology transfer also intersects with SDG 9, which promotes industry, innovation and infrastructure, while its green-development agenda supports global efforts to address climate change.
The effectiveness of such interventions, however, will ultimately depend on whether they produce sustainable improvements in local economies and institutions rather than short-term project outputs.
Geopolitical Questions
The GDI has also generated debate over the relationship between development cooperation and geopolitics.
Joseph Lemoine of the Atlantic Council described the initiative as a positive development because it encouraged China to participate more actively in multilateral development efforts.
He argued, however, that the GDI also advances Beijing’s objective of increasing its influence in discussions about global governance and a more multipolar international system.
Henry Tugendhat of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy has similarly argued that China’s growing emphasis on global initiatives reflects a broader effort to shape the evolving international order.
These perspectives highlight one of the central debates surrounding the GDI: whether its growing reach should be viewed primarily as an additional source of development resources for poorer countries, or also as part of China’s broader effort to expand its influence in global governance.
The GDI forms part of a wider group of Chinese initiatives that includes the Global Security Initiative, Global Civilisation Initiative and Global Governance Initiative.
Together, they reflect Beijing’s ambition to play a greater role in shaping international discussions on security, development, civilisation and global governance.
Africa and Nigeria as Key Test Cases
Africa provides an important testing ground for the GDI because of the continent’s substantial infrastructure, agricultural, industrial and digital development needs.
Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria Yu Dunhai has argued that China-Africa and China-Nigeria cooperation can contribute to achieving the SDGs through investment in infrastructure, agriculture, renewable energy and digital technology.
He said China was willing to work with African countries, including Nigeria, to address global challenges and support reforms to international institutions and the international financial system.
Across Africa, Chinese development cooperation has increasingly focused on agriculture, industrialisation, infrastructure, digital connectivity and skills development.
In agriculture, China-Africa cooperation has included technology transfer and the sharing of farming expertise aimed at improving productivity and strengthening food security.
In Nigeria, Chinese agricultural cooperation has included initiatives in states such as Jigawa and Kano, where Chinese experts have supported the introduction of improved farming techniques.
The long-term impact of such interventions, however, depends on local adoption, skills transfer and the ability of communities and institutions to sustain the technologies after external support ends.
China’s economic engagement in Nigeria has also extended to industrial development, including investments associated with the Lekki Free Trade Zone and Ogun-Guangdong Free Trade Zone.
Chinese companies have also played a significant role in Nigeria’s telecommunications infrastructure, while digital financial services have expanded through companies such as OPay.
Opportunity and Responsibility
For Africa and Nigeria, the GDI presents potential opportunities in areas including food security, technology transfer, infrastructure, industrial development, digital connectivity and human-capacity development.
But experts and policymakers face a broader question: how can developing countries use international partnerships to strengthen domestic capacity rather than become overly dependent on external support?
The significance of the GDI will ultimately depend on whether its projects contribute to measurable improvements in poverty reduction, food security, healthcare, employment, climate resilience, digital access and infrastructure.
With the 2030 SDG deadline approaching, China’s initiative has become an important part of the changing global development landscape.
For developing countries, the opportunity lies in leveraging competing and complementary international partnerships to secure financing, technology and expertise while maintaining ownership of national development priorities.
Ultimately, achieving the SDGs will require more than individual initiatives. It will require stronger international cooperation, adequate financing, technology transfer and development partnerships capable of converting global commitments into measurable improvements in the lives of people across the Global South.
Credit.NAN. Mark LongYen
