Since the formal establishment of diplomatic relations on February 10, 1971, Chinese companies have maintained a significant investment in Nigeria based on the principle of win-win cooperation.
According to the China General Chambers of Commerce in Nigeria, there are over 500 registered Chinese enterprises in Nigeria involved in various sectors such as engineering, construction, mining, power, agriculture, automobiles, building materials, Oil and Gas, and ICT.
Chinese companies have also invested over $41bn in the Nigerian economy, according to 2021 figures from the China Global Investment Tracker.
Some of these companies include China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) responsible for the construction of over 120 critical projects such as the Abuja-Kaduna railway, Abuja Rail Mass Transit, Lagos-Ibadan Railway, Lagos Blue Rail, New Terminal Buildings of Abuja, Lagos, Kano and Port Harcourt International Airports and the Lagos-Badagry Highway.
China Habour Engineering Company Limited (CHEC), responsible for the construction of the $1.5bn Lekki Deep Sea Port, the largest seaport in West Africa and the $542m Abuja-Keffi-Akwanga-Lafia-Makurdi road project.
CHEC also played a key role in the construction of the $19bn Dangote refinery, the world’s largest single-train refinery with the capacity to process 650,000 barrels of crude oil daily.
Sinoma CNBM Limited, responsible for the ongoing construction of $1.05bn new BUA Cement plants in Edo, Sokoto and Adamawa states. They also manufacture made-in-Nigeria stone-coated roofing sheets and fibre cement boards used for most building construction projects in Nigeria.
China National Electric Engineering Company (CNEEC) and Sinohydro Ltd, responsible for the construction of the 700 megawatts $1.3bn Zungeru Hydroelectric Power Station in Niger state.
Mutual Commitment Group (MCG) Limited, responsible for the construction of the Omotosho power plant, the Danja dam project in Katsina, and the Nepza power plants in Kano and Calabar.
China Railway Bureau Group Limited, responsible for the construction of the N2.8bn Agricultural Technology Demonstration Center in Abuja.
Chinese firms like Startimes, Huawei and Opay are providing soft infrastructure in ICT and Fintech, while Sany Group and Sinostar, supply heavy-duty machinery needed for construction and mechanized farming.
In the area of human capital infrastructure, Chinese companies have trained many Nigerians with relevant skills in engineering, construction, mining, rail, solar energy and telecommunications and have also provided direct and indirect jobs to thousands of Nigerian citizens.
The projects executed by these Chinese firms have contributed to revenue generation, provision of social services, ease of doing business and infrastructural development in Nigeria.
