Nigeria’s Emerging Role in China-Africa Relations

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari (L) and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands during a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on April 12, 2016. Muhammadu Buhari is on a visit to China from April 11 to 15. KENZABURO FUKUHARA / POOL / AFP

One of the unexpected outcomes of the COVID-19 crisis is its rapidly escalating impact on the relationship between Nigeria and China. Several African governments have protested the treatment of African migrants in Guangzhou, but Nigeria is emerging as the epicentre of a diplomatic crisis in China-Africa relations. 

The motion tabled in the the country’s House of Representatives, aimed at investigating the immigration compliance of each Chinese company and individual in the country, is only one aspect of the reaction. As we show below, the diplomatic spat is also coinciding with crackdowns on other alleged instances of Chinese misconduct, for example illegal mining. 

  • Get a daily email packed with the latest China-Africa news and analysis.
  • Read exclusive insights on the key trends shaping China-Africa relations.
  • Full access to the News Feed that provides daily updates on Chinese engagement in Africa and throughout the Global South.

China, Africa and the Global South... find out what’s happening.

Subscribe today for unlimited access.

OR

Already a subscriber? Log in Click Here to Learn More
by Cobus van Staden

Most Read

1
Developing Countries’ Debt Servicing Costs to China Are Significant, but Nowhere Near as Much as Other Creditors
2 Chinese Military Fans Discuss Why Indonesia Bought Rafale Instead of J-10C
3
Indonesia Begins $5.9 Billion Chinese EV Battery Project Despite Environment Fears
4
Chinese Cargo Planes Secretly Ferrying Supplies to Iran, Claim Online Sleuths
5
Indonesia Goes Nuclear, Taps China and Russia for Modular Reactors
6
China, U.S. Ink Rare Earth Deal; More Trade Pacts Coming

You Might Like

China Needs to Do More to Protect Black People

On April 8, a 15-person Chinese medical team ​arrived​ in Nigeria to assist with the country’s fight against COVID-19. The team brought with them more than a million masks, ventilators, Personal Protective ...

Nigeria’s Unprecedented Censure of China

The Nigerian House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a series of motions on Wednesday that condemned  the “maltreatment & institutional racial discrimination against Nigerians living in China.” The motion was brought to the floor ...

It’s Been Nearly 6 Months Since Guangzhou, What Have We Learned?

It’s been six months since Guangzhou became synonymous with anti-black and anti-African discrimination. In the wake of numerous videos, photos, and accounts of the maltreatment of African residents in the southern Chinese megacity, ...

Nigeria is Right to be Worried About the Wuhan Coronavirus

Nigeria Center for Disease Control Director General Chikwe Ihekweazu is doing his best to reassure constituents that his team is closely following the spread of the deadly coronavirus in China and monitoring to ...

What is The China-Global South Project?

Independent

The China-Global South Project is passionately independent, non-partisan and does not advocate for any country, company or culture.

News

A carefully curated selection of the day’s most important China-Global South stories. Updated 24 hours a day by human editors. No bots, no algorithms.

Analysis

Diverse, often unconventional insights from scholars, analysts, journalists and a variety of stakeholders in the China-Global South discourse.

Networking

A unique professional network of China-Africa scholars, analysts, journalists and other practioners from around the world.

More about CGSP