Elephants, Ants and Superpowers: Nigeria's Relations with China

This research paper analyzes the economic and political relations between China and Nigeria, tracing their history from post-independence hostility to intense engagement and a subsequent cooling-off period. It examines trade imbalances, the dominance of oil in Nigerian exports, and various sectoral interactions including power, rail, and finance.

• The 'oil for infrastructure' model, established under former President Olusegun Obasanjo—where Nigeria provided oil blocs to Chinese energy companies in exchange for infrastructure projects financed by Chinese banks—is no longer in use. It has been replaced by a model where Chinese energy companies acquire stakes in existing companies to access oil resources.
• The abandonment of the 'oil for infrastructure' approach by the Nigerian government is attributed to a conflict between that model and the Nigerian electoral cycle, which alternates power every ten years between southern Christian and northern Muslim elites.
• Despite the end of the infrastructure model, Chinese multinational companies are expected to increase their market share in Nigeria due to their access to credit, risk appetite, and pricing advantages. These companies have demonstrated a preference for engaging with the Nigerian public sector over the private sector.
• The paper suggests that Nigeria could improve the benefits of its relationship with China by enhancing its negotiating capacity and revising its positions, specifically by learning from China's strategies regarding concessional credit and technology transfer when dealing with Western nations.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2009). Elephants, Ants and Superpowers: Nigeria's Relations with China. https://saiia.org.za/research/elephants-ants-and-superpowers-nigeria-s-relations-with-china/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Elephants, Ants and Superpowers: Nigeria's Relations with China. 2009. https://saiia.org.za/research/elephants-ants-and-superpowers-nigeria-s-relations-with-china/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Elephants, Ants and Superpowers: Nigeria's Relations with China |date=29 September 2009 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/elephants-ants-and-superpowers-nigeria-s-relations-with-china/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2009elephants, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Elephants, Ants and Superpowers: Nigeria's Relations with China}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2009}, month = sep, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/elephants-ants-and-superpowers-nigeria-s-relations-with-china/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }