Nigeria-China Relations in an Age of Globalization: An Analysis

This paper is a study of Nigeria-China relations in an era of globalization. The paper assessed Nigeria-China bilateral trade and investment relations and its impacts on Nigeria economic development. The study note that Nigeria is having severe balance of trade problem, as China has gained undue advantage in its trade and investment relations with Nigeria. It argues that globalization has created asymmetry relations between Nigeria and China, widening their disparity and hindered Nigeria’s ability to reap from the benefits of international trade. The theory of Neo-liberal internationalism is adopted as the theoretical framework of analysis. The theory focuses on how international institutions can mediate relations between states in the international system. Secondary method of data collection was used, while the data obtained was contently analyzed. The paper finds that Nigeria liberalization policies encourage importation of goods and services from China and have accelerated Nigeria’s economic dependence, and negatively impacted on her development. The paper notes that this has enhanced Chinese continued exploitation of Nigeria and made her subservient to China economic interests. The study recommendations among others: Nigeria to pursue export policies to increase the volume of its exports to China, revive local industries, create enabling business environment to attract foreign investors, to liberalize its financial market to enable local entrepreneurs have access to credit facilities to procure industrial machines and equipment’s needed to augment production of goods and services. Again, the paper calls for reinvigoration of Nigeria regulatory agencies to checkmate importation of substandard Chinese products into the country.