Nigerian Scholars Debate Effects of China’s BRI in Africa

Several Nigerian academics and veteran diplomats on Thursday discussed the merits and demerits of China’s Belt and Road Initiative at a one-day conference organised by the National Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) in Lagos.

The BRI, created in 2013, is China’s signature plan to connect the world’s trade infrastructure network. As at the end of March 2019, 125 countries and 29 international organisations had signed up for the initiative, including Nigeria.

The conference tagged: ‘Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Africa: Problems and Prospects’ resolved that while the BRI can help Africa build much-needed infrastructure, the scheme poses several problems such as burdening African countries with debt and creating a culture of dependency on Chinese goods and services.

Director of the Centre for China Studies, an Abuja-based Think-Tank, Mr. Charles Onunaiju, noted that Nigerian policy makers and influencers must pay attention to the social structure of China as the liberal international order continues to decline and decompose.

He noted that the international system is currently changing rapidly as major powers continue to tilt towards the Asia pacific, and wondered whether Nigeria was responding to this shift.

“I do not think a policy that is dynamic and responsive can afford to ignore this shift,” he said.

Onunaiju observed that China is creating new international institutions such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the New Development Bank, from which Nigeria is missing, asking: “Why are we missing at the table? “If you are not there, your imprints will not be there.”

Although Nigeria formally joined the BRI in 2018, Onunaiju believes it is not enough to sign a memorandum, adding that “we must robustly engage with the process to become a major influencer in the emerging international system.”

He urged Nigeria to find a niche in the BRI process where it can integrate its resources to accelerate the country’s own national development.

“Of course the BRI has its pitfalls, but we must seek to understand it. Foreign policy must bring tangible benefits,” he said.

A Professor of Political Science at the University of Abuja, Sherif Ibrahim, opined that while Nigeria is benefitting from China’s BRI, Nigerians must join other Africans to build the continent's own belt and road, adding: “We can simulate the Chinese BRI.

“We have the Trans-Sahara and Trans-Atlantic route in order to achieve our aims.”

Also, a Director at the Institute of Nigeria-China Development Studies, University of Lagos, Prof Femi Saibu, urged Africa to adopt the Chinese model of creating common development goals. The continent, according to Saibu, can achieve this by advocating a common identity, aspirations and market.

On his own, a former Nigerian Ambassador in Belgium and Professor of Political Science, Alaba Ogunsanwo, noted that there is the need for more transparency on the part of African leaders in regards to details of loan agreements pulled in from China and the West.

He said: “The problem with Africa is that we don’t know what we want and how to achieve it.”

Another Professor, Amini Awah, said the Chinese people sometimes do not respect local content laws when involved in the construction projects across the country, noting that “they come with their staff and that has a lot of effects in local development.”

An academic at the NIIA, Efem Ubi, lamented that Africa currently lacks the capacity to negotiate with China.

He said the BRI can provide infrastructure for Africa, “but countries must solve endemic problems like bad governance and corruption first.”