POLITICS OF AFRICA'S ECONOMIC RELATIONS WITH CHINA WITH FOCUS ON SINO-NIGERIA TRADE RELATIONS

This paper analyzes the Politics of China-Nigeria Trade Relations. The general objective is to examine if there is a positive relationship between the level of Nigeria fs diversification towards China and the salience of Nigeria9s political relations with China. The problem investigated is therefore whether Nigeria-China trade relations is motivated by complementary national objectives and interests of the two parties or structured and driven by global rivalry between an incumbent hegemonic power United States, and its potential replacement, China. The study adopted the descriptive qualitative method as the method of data analysis. The study relied on secondary sources such as books, journals, articles, publications, magazines, government reports and also on primary sources such as interviews. The theoretical framework for the analysis of politics of Africa9s economic relations with China, with focus on Sino-Nigeria trade relations is the power transition theory developed by OrganskL This is because it enable the research understands at a glance the hierarchy in international power politics and its economic foundation. The findings of the study include the following: both Nigeria and China seem to gain significantly but not equally from their economic engagement, although Nigerians have expressed dissatisfaction with the labour practice of Chinese companies, the low quality of imported goods and the adverse effect of those imports on domestic production. The study recommends that Nigeria9s relations with China should be treated as a means of acquiring and indigenizing new technologies for Nigeria, and Nigeria political relations with China should be exploited to increase the net gains for Nigeria through diversification of her trade toward China.