Journal de l'économie mondiale

African Drives in Snowballing Engagement with the Chinese: The Case of Nigeria

Abstract

Ehizuelen Michael MO*

China’s increasing engagement in Africa is not without controversy. While many pundits have seen China as a genuine partner to Africa and its development, others believe its engagement is largely exploitative – a parasitic relationship driven primarily by China’s interest in Africa’s resources. However, few analyses have approached Sino-Africa relations as a vibrant, two-way dynamic in which both sides adjust to policy initiatives and popular perceptions emanating from each other. This paper contradicts the assumption of most literature to date that seems to borrow from the logic of dependency theory and present African economic as pawns, subject to the demands of a dominant and exploitative China, who is benefiting at Africa expenses. Arguably, Africans are willing partners of the Chinese, driven by their state-centric belief that engagement with the Chinese is in their national interest. For Nigerians, they are engaging with China because it is in their best interest and as the relationship continues to grow, it will need to be managed in order to maximize the benefit to Nigeria.