Dissertation

Strategic Impact of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) on Trade and Infrastructural Development in Nigeria, (2000-2019)

Otunmala, Simon Jonah

2021

Overview

The Forum on China-African Cooperation (FOCAC) was established in the year 2000 by the government of China. It aims at furthering existing bilateral relations and cooperation with African countries and Nigeria in particular. As a mechanism for coordinating interventionist development initiatives in the areas of infrastructure, security cooperation, trade and investment relations, FOCAC aims at imbuing a ‘win-win’ agenda for parties within the forum. FOCAC operates with the drive for interdependence between actors. This renewed vigour between China and Africa seeks to douse the schisms and alleged ulterior motives of China in her relations with African countries. It is against this background that the study examined the general framework of Sino-Nigeria cooperation and commitment within the context of FOCAC; dissect the contentious issues of cooperation or re-colonization; investigate the issues in Nigeria-China infrastructure financing cooperation and commitments; identify the impact and utility of Nigeria-China military cooperation and ascertain the basis for the seeming hysteria in trade relations between Nigeria and China. Relying on the qualitative methodology, primary data was generated for the study from interview of forty-nine purposively selected key informants from proximate policy makers and implementers drawn from the Ministries of Transportation, Foreign Affairs, Finance, Trade and Investment, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Legislators (House Committee on Treaties, Protocols and Agreements) the Civil Society and the academia. Data obtained were thematically analysed with the aid of researcher-reflexivity. Findings from the study indicates that the Forum’s summits and conference deliberations from the Beijing Declaration in 2000, Addisa Ababa Action Plan (2003), Beijing Action Plan (2006), Sharm El-Sheikh Action Plan (2009), Beijing Plan of Action (2012), Johannesburg Action Plan (2015) and Beijing Plan of Action (2018) have radically improved China’s interventions in the areas of infrastructure, security and trade and investment cooperation and commitments. The study recommends amongst other things that in dealing with China within the FOCAC framework, the Nigerian government should project internal cohesion erected on a more result-driven national administrative framework, a workable national agenda and developmental philosophy that will project the country as a conscious partner within the ambit of the corporate interdependence school with clear objectives.

• Publisher: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
• Subject: Political science
• ISBN: 9798582578451