By Li Hongmei

Chinese President Xi Jinping and the visiting Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan presided Wednesday over the signing of accords between their governments to facilitate US$1.1 billion in low-interest loans for much-needed infrastructure in Nigeria.

China is offering Nigeria loans to help fund airport terminals in four cities, roads, a light-rail line for its capital, a hydropower plant and oil and gas infrastructure.

Xi said both countries had been brought together by a common task of pursuing national development. "As a proverb of Nigeria reads, `A man cannot sit down alone to plan for prosperity,"' he said.

Jonathan, on a four-day trip to China, has brought along about a dozen of his Cabinet ministers including those for petroleum resources, trade and transport, as well as several state governors, senior government officials and businesspeople.

Following a meeting between Xi and Jonathan, representatives from both countries signed five deals, including a lending agreement between China's Import-Export Bank and the Nigerian finance ministry for the expansion of the airport terminals and an economic and technical cooperation pact. Details of the agreements were not immediately available.

Nigerian Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala says the loans being finalized during this trip are part of US$3 billion approved by China at interest rates of less than 3 percent.

Chinese companies are already building roads across Nigeria in contracts worth US$1.7 billion.