THE IMPLICATIONS OF CHINA’S INCREASING PRESENCE IN AFRICA ON NIGERIA’S AFRO-CENTRICISM

Abstract

Development scholars and social scientists generally have been trying to rack their brain around the factors that have seemingly driven China’s interests and increasing inroads into Africa to the discomfort of other global economic players such as America and Britain. This paper has tried to contribute to the search for answers to the question about China’s new-found love for Africa and her under tapped and miss tapped resources and market coupled with Nigeria’s diminishing dominance in Africa due to her domestic challenges. The objectives of this paper are: to investigate what has accounted for china’s increasing presence in Africa; to analyze the reactions from African states on China’s presence in Africa and to unbundled the implications of china’s presence on Nigeria’s Afro-centrism. The paper adopted a qualitative method of data collection. Constructivism was used to provide a better understanding of the concept of China’s increasing presence and its effects on Nigeria’s Afro-centrism. The findings of this paper are: China’s presence in Africa is as a result of Africa’s rich natural resources and markets, the reactions from African states on Chinese presence in Africa have been positive since it has brought investments and development to the continent and the implication of China’s presence in Africa is that it has reduced Nigeria’s bargaining power continentally and globally, and there are also political, security, economic and cultural effects also. The paper recommends that since China’s increasing presence in Africa is as a result of the continent’s enormous natural resources and quest for market, African countries must strengthen their institutional capacities to enthrone and uphold transparency and accountability in their dealings with China. African states should closely monitor China’s investments interests as well as its legal frameworks. Given that China’s in road into Africa has had a number of effects on Nigeria’s Afro-centrism coupled with its internal challenges, there is need for Nigeria to address her internal challenges in the areas of insecurity, corruption, economic, healthcare, educational challenges as well as infrastructural deficits.