China–Nigeria relations

Nigeria and the People's Republic of China established formal diplomatic relations on February 10, 1971.[2][3] Relations between the two nations grew closer as a result of the international isolation and Western condemnation of Nigeria's military dictatorships (1970s-1998). Nigeria has since become an important source of oil and petroleum for China's rapidly growing economy and Nigeria is looking to China for help in achieving high economic growth; China has provided extensive economic, military and political support.[4][5]

In 2004 and again in 2006, Chinese President Hu Jintao made state visits to Nigeria and addressed a joint session of the National Assembly of Nigeria. Both nations signed a memorandum of understanding on establishing a strategic partnership.[6] China has supported Nigeria's bid for a seat in the U.N. Security Council.[2] As of February 2013, the Chinese Ambassador in Nigeria is Deng Boqing.[7]

Although Nigeria maintains trade relations with Taiwan, and has a representative office in Taipei, it issued a joint communiqué with China in 2005, reaffirming that Beijing was "the only legitimate government representing the whole of China and Taiwan is an unalienable part of its territory".[8]

In response to the hesitation of the United States and other Western countries to aid Nigeria in their efforts to combat insurgents in the oil-rich Niger Delta region, the Nigerian government has developed close military cooperation with China, which has supplied arms, equipment, training and technology to the Nigerian armed forces.[9] Both nations also signed a US$311 million agreement to develop cooperation in communications and space programs;[10] China helped develop and launch the Nigerian communications satellite (NigComSat-1) by 2007 to expand cellular and internet networks in Central Africa.[10][11][12]

Countries which signed cooperation documents related to the Belt and Road Initiative

Bilateral trade reached US$3 billion in 2006 – up from $384 million in 1998.[3][6] During Chinese President Hu Jintao's visit in 2006, China secured four oil drilling licenses and agreed to invest $4 billion in oil and infrastructure development projects in Nigeria,[5] and both nations agreed to a four-point plan to improve bilateral relations – a key component of which was to expand trade and investments in agriculture, telecommunications, energy and infrastructure development.[3] Furthermore, China agreed to buy a controlling stake in the Kaduna oil refinery that would produce 110,000 barrels per day (17,000 m³/d).[5] Nigeria also promised to give preference to Chinese oil firms for contracts for oil exploration in the Niger Delta and Chad Basin.[5] In 2006, China also agreed to grant a loan of $1 billion to Nigeria to help it upgrade and modernize its railway networks.[4] In 2005 Nigeria agreed to supply PetroChina with 30,000 barrels per day (4,800 m³/d) of oil for $800 million.[9] In 2006 the CNOOC purchased a share for $2.3 billion in an oil exploration block owned by a former defence minister. China has also pledged to invest $267 million to build the Lekki free trade zone near Lagos. However, the "flooding" of Nigerian markets with cheap Chinese goods has become a sensitive political issue, as – combined with the importation of second-hand European products – it has adversely affected domestic industries, especially in textiles, and led to closure of 65 textile mills and the laying-off of 150,000 textile workers over the course of a decade.[6] Nigerian militants have also threatened to attack Chinese workers and projects in the Niger Delta.[6] In 2010, trade between the two countries was worth US$7.8 billion.[13] In 2011 Nigeria was the 4th largest trading partner of China in Africa and in the first 8 months of 2012 it was the 3rd.[14]

From 2000 to 2011, there are approximately 40 Chinese official development finance projects identified in Nigeria through various media reports.[15] These projects range from a $2.5 billion loan for Nigerian rail, power, or telecommunications projects in 2008,< to an MoU for $1 billion construction of houses and water supply in Abuja in 2009, and several rail networks.[16]

Since 2000, trade relations have risen exponentially. There has been an increase in total trade of over 10,384 million dollars between the two nations from 2000 to 2016.[17] However the structure of the Sino-Nigerian trade relationship has become a major political issue because Chinese exports accounted for around 80 percent of total bilateral trade volumes. This has resulted in a serious trade imbalance with Nigeria importing ten times more than it exports to Chin Nigeria's economy is becoming over-reliant on cheap foreign imports to sustain itself resulting in a clear decline in Nigerian Industry under such arrangements.[18]

• Ademola, Oyejide Titiloye, Abiodun-S. Bankole, and Adeolu O. Adewuyi. "China-Africa trade relations: Insights from AERC scoping studies." The Power of the Chinese Dragon. Palgrave Macmillan, London, 2016. 69–97.
• Odeh, Lemuel Ekedegwa. "Dynamics of China-Nigeria Economic Relations Since 1971." Journal of the Historical Society of Nigeria (2014): 150–162. in JSTOR
• Oke, Muritala, Oluseyi Oshinfowokan, and Olubunmi Okonoda. "Nigeria-China Trade Relations: Projections for National Growth and Development." International Journal of Business and Management 14.11 (2019).
• Osakwe, Adanma, "Exploring the complexities of the China-Nigeria relationship: Is China good for Africa?", International Affairs Review, v.1 n.4, March 2012,