Stalled Chinese Financing Complicates Buhari’s Infrastructure Legacy

The fluctuations of Chinese lending to Nigeria, graph via Bloomberg

Nigeria’s presidential race is officially on, but many are wondering how China will shape the fortunes of the ruling All Progressives Congress, the party of the current front-runner Rotimi Amaechi, the country’s former transport minister.

President Muhammadu Buhari came to power on the promise to build much-needed infrastructure. Access to Chinese loans and contractors undergirded that commitment. In some cases, this was a smart bet. For example, Buhari managed to deliver three different rail lines, two of which were started before he took office. 

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by Cobus van Staden

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