AKUEME, CHIAGOZIEM ADAEZE (2026) MUTUAL DEVELOPMENT OR RESOURCE EXTRACTION: AN EXAMINATION OF CHINESE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS IN NIGERIA, 2018-2025. Other thesis, GODFREY OKOYE UNIVERSITY, ENUGU.
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Abstract
The study examines whether the Chinese investment in infrastructure in Nigeria from 2018 to 2025 was geared towards mutual development or towards resource extraction. The research was conducted in two sectors (Construction and Mining). The research design of the study was qualitative exploratory and secondary data sources were used, such as government reports, scholarly publications and policy documents as well as official records. Documentary method and content analysis were used to analyze the data and Debt Trap Theory was used as the theoretical basis. The study revealed that the Chinese have been actively contributing towards achieving the infrastructure modernisation in Nigeria with some of the major infrastructure projects they are responsible for in Nigeria being the Lagos Deep Sea Port, the Abuja Light Rail, Kaduna-Kano Railway and the Lagos-Ibadan Railway. These projects served to further boost mobility, expand Nigeria-China trade connections, stimulate economic activities and generate employment and further reinforce economic cooperation between Nigeria and China. So, it was concluded that the construction industry was one of the industries that helped each other develop through the study period with the help of Chinese investment. The study, however, also showed that Chinese investments merely had an impact on some structural difficulties, such as the increasing reliance on foreign loans, trade imbalances, insufficient technology transfer and the continued need for Chinese technical skills. The favorable infrastructure conditions facilitated easier access to parts of the country that are rich in minerals and the mining and export of strategic minerals such as lithium, gold and iron ore. This enhanced investment and commercial activities sparked concerns on environmental degradation, poor regulatory environment, labour concerns and the export of raw products which do not have much value addition capacity in the country. The study reveals that Chinese investments in the infrastructure sector in Nigeria had a developmental as well as an extractive impact. The investments stimulated infrastructure expansion and economic modernization, but reinforced trends towards economic dependency and extraction of resources. The authors present a wide range of recommendations for improved loan contracts, enhanced local content policies, improved arrangements for technology transfer and improved regulatory regimes, to better ensure that the future partnerships of China and Nigeria will increase their contribution to sustainable national growth. keywords: Chinese Infrastructure Investment, Mutual Development, Resource Extraction, Nigeria-China Relations, Debt Trap Theory, Infrastructure Development, Mining Sector, Belt and Road Initiative (BRI]
| Item Type: | Thesis (Other) |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) |
| Divisions: | Faculty of Management and Social Sciences |
| Depositing User: | CHIBUEZE EZE |
| Date Deposited: | 03 Aug 2026 12:29 |
| Last Modified: | 03 Aug 2026 12:29 |
| URI: | http://eprints.gouni.edu.ng/id/eprint/6153 |
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