CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
The relationship between Nigeria and China has been cooperative and cordial, especially between 1999 and 2009. At independence, Nigeria adopted a broadly pro-western policy and did little to establish diplomatic relations with China. Formal diplomatic ties between the two countries came into being in 1971, barely a year after the end of the Nigerian Civil War (1967-1970). However, following China‟s economic growth in the 1980s, Nigerian leaders began to look forward to a more serious economic engagement with China.
During the military regime of General Sani Abacha, Nigeria turned to China for military assistance and training of the Nigeria Army; perhaps to help the government suppress the domestic opposition to autocratic rule in Nigeria. By the time of 1999, when Nigeria experienced political transition from military rule to democratic administration, there has been renewed content and context in Nigeria-China relations. The details of such expanded relationship are the contents of chapter four (4) of this study. Overall, after a lull in Nigeria‟s relations with it‟s outside world; as a result of the hostility and paranoid (Fawole, 1999 cited in Ojo, 2005) that characterized the country‟s foreign affairs, the 1999 political change over marked the beginning of a renewed relationship with other nations of the world. It is within this context that the Nigeria-China relation is considered in the study.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Despite the benefit, which the two countries derived from their bilateral relationship, analysts have argued that the relationship between Nigeria and China was complex and was never going to be straightforward. But is this relationship the tale of two giants, as (Alaba Ogunsanwo, 2008 cited in Gregory, 2009), the distinguished Nigerian academic and former diplomat would has alleged it, or rather, employing the phrase of the Chinese periodical Chinafrica, a more parochial story of a global „elephant‟ and just one of many Third World „ants‟? The two tales converge concerning China‟s status, which both views correctly characterize as weighty, but diverge in Nigeria. Nigerian officials have noted that there is an unbalanced system in Nigeria-China relations in which the Chinese world become the dominant power while Nigeria would lack the capacity to exert her influence in political dealings (Gregory, 2009). Similar short comings existed in the area of technology transfer and job creation for Nigerian citizen-public officials outside the foreign affairs sectors complained that although Chinese business men were more attractive partners because the development gap is less daunting than with the west actual technological transfer and job creation was low because the Chinese imported their own labour to Nigeria (Utomi, 2009:42). This created a debate among the public officials about how Nigerian‟s relation with China could be better managed. From the foregoing, it appears that Abuja-Beijing bilateral relations were cordial between 1999 and 2009 except for a few instances where Nigerians complained about poor Chinese labour policy and Chinese substandard goods.
However, from 2007 onward, Nigeria-Chinese relations faced a new challenge with the failed effort of President Olusegun Obasanjo to secure a third term in office. Obasanjo campaigned for the late President Umar‟ Musa Yar‟Adua who was eventually elected the President in 2007. Yar‟Adua, however, continued to review all the agreement signed between Nigeria and China, which mostly resulted either in the suspension or cancellation of these contracts. Between 2007 and 2009, Abuja-Beijing relationship was not totally cooperative as some Chinese companies decided not to
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sign pact with the Federal Government any longer but rather would partner with State Government. Given this background, this research focuses on the Obasanjo‟s “Oil for Infrastructures” policy and the benefits, which the Nigerian Government derived from this policy from 1999 to 2009 and proceeds to suggest possible solution to the ongoing imbalance in Nigeria-Chinese economic diplomacy since the assumption of President Yar‟Adua to power in 2007.
1.3 Research Questions
In the course of this research work the following questions will be examined:
1. What is the impact of the historical ties between Nigeria and China on the current relationship?
2. What are the domestic and international factors that influence the Nigeria-China relationship?
1.4 Objectives of the Study
1. To examine the historical development of Nigeria-Chinese relations from 1999-2009.
2. To evaluate the relationship between Nigeria and China especially during the former‟s transition programme.
3. To analyze Nigeria‟s relationship with China in key areas such as bilateral trade, oil and gas, power generation, rail transport system, road construction, communication, manufacturing and retail loan finance and general free trade zone.
1.5 Assumptions
This research would be guided by the following assumptions:
1. There is a significant relationship between bilateral economic relations and economic growth.
2. There is a significant correlation between bilateral agreement and increase in Chinese trade to Nigeria.
3. There is a significant relationship between Sino Nigeria relations and prospects for Nigeria‟s economic development.
1.6 Significance of the study
The significance of this study cannot be underrated. This study will enhance our general historical knowledge of the bilateral relations between Nigeria and China especially in the sectors of bilateral trade, economic relations, politics, and socio-bilateral relations. There is privation of literature in respect of trade relations between Nigeria and Asian countries specifically China, in contra distinction to the volume of work written about the trade relations between Nigeria and other countries of the world, specifically European and American countries. Consequently, this research will serve as a reference material for further research on the subject. A thorough, detailed and scholarly investigated research of this nature will close the existing gap in the literature on the subject.
The importance of this study to the field of international relations is that this study relates the importance of bilateral trade relations as a means of change and development, most certainly when the nations involved are in need of each other. However, the trade relationship should target the major need of any member in terms of real change and development. International relations therefore can be linked with the pattern and scope of international trade.
1.7 Scope and Limitations:
1.7.1 Scope
This study focuses on Nigeria-China relation‟s references from bilateral relations, which existed between 1999-2009. Analysis in this study will cover key areas in
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Nigeria-China relations, which include the economy, political, and socio-cultural sectors. However, the research will also utilize the historical analysis of the previous periods before the scope of this study. This study therefore examines economic and trade relations between the two countries, meticulously looking at the trends, problems and prospects.
1.7.2 Limitations
The major limitation to this study is time and money limitation. Time is a limitation to the study because I would have loved to visit People‟s Republic of China (PRC) itself but this cannot be fulfilled because I have been restricted to a particular period of time for the completion of this research work. And during my field analysis I was not able to gain access to China Embassy.
1.8 Organization of Study
The report of this study will be organized in five chapters as follows:
In the structure of this study, chapter one examines the introductory sections, which will deal exclusively with the background to the study, statement of the problem, objectives of the study, scope of study as well as limitations to the study. Chapter two consists of literature reviews and theoretical framework related to the topic. Chapter three focuses on research methodology. Chapter four focuses on the overview of Nigeria and China relations before 1999, the relations between Nigeria and China, prospects and problems and strategic implications. Chapter five examines the summary, conclusion, and sound recommendations would be elaborated as solutions in respect to the essence of study.
1.9 Definition of Terms
Bilateral relations: refers to the relationship between two independent regions. Cultural, economic, and political factors influence this relationship (Bilateral Trade).
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Economic: Economic activity that involves participants of two countries, most obviously trade but other forms as well. Some pairs of countries that have essentially no political relations nonetheless have economic relations (Economic).
Foreign policy: implies as consisting of decisive actions which involve to some appreciable extent relations between one state and the others (Frankel, 1967 cited in NOUN).
Sino-Nigeria relations: refer to international relation, between Nigeria and the government of People’s Republic of China (PRC).
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