China in Nigeria: Soft power as cornerstone of foreign policy, By ‘Lade Bandele

From its major forms of development assistance, expressed through the granting of low-interest loans, the construction of crucial infrastructure, including roads, airports, railways, power stations, through to support in capacity building and inter-cultural exchanges, the activation of collaborations through its huge soft power will certainly endure as China’s most durable footprint in Nigeria, and Africa.

A “Win-Win” Approach

As an upper, middle income developing country, which is the second largest economy in the world in terms of its GDP, and accounting for 19 per cent of global economic output in 2022, China is certainly one of the most powerful and continuously ascendant countries on earth. This is a $18 trillion economy that is growing at the rate of 3 per cent per annum, and has a GDP per capita of almost $13,000.

With its expanding material base, it has also developed the capacity to defend itself against all sorts of aggression, whether from those envious…