Chinese people in Nigeria
Encyclopedia
There is a large population of Chinese people in Nigeria, possibly the largest overseas Chinese
population in Africa
.
's census showed four Chinese people living there. Hong Kong
investors began opening factories in Nigeria as early as the 1950s. By 1965 there were perhaps 2,000 Chinese people in the country. However, like other foreigners, many Chinese have fled the country during the civil war
. The Chinese population slowly rebounded after the war. By 1999, that number had grown to over 10,800, including 630 from Taiwan and 1,050 from Hong Kong.
native who moved to Hong Kong
and then arrived in Nigeria in the 1960s, would go on to head up the Ikeja Industrial Area, a government-sponsored industrial development project established at Ikeja
] in 1986.
Chinese companies are widely believed to offer worse pay and labour conditions than local or other foreign companies, and to be unwilling to promote locals over Chinese nationals. A scholarly study found corroboration of poor working conditions, with one notorious case being a 2002 fire in a Chinese-owned plastics factory from which 45 workers were unable to escape as they were locked inside by their bosses. However, Chinese companies state that they prefer to recruit and retain local workers as the cost of attracting expatriate talent from China has risen. The Li Group, for example, has a total of about 500 Chinese employees. Another large Chinese company, Lagos-based Golden Telecommunications, employs about 300 Chinese staff, and an equal number of locals; wages are not as good as competitors, but their training programmes are superior.
Other locations with concentrations of Chinese vendors include Old Dragon City (老龙城), New Dragon City (新龙城), and Jinmao Commercial Building (金贸商厦). As of 2006 there were estimated to be about 250 Chinese trading companies operating in Nigeria, with a total turnover of about US$300 million. Such vendors also often find themselves the target of robberies and violent crimes.
's Dangote Group
, which along with French conglomerate Lafarge
attracted protests in Lagos in 2010 for allegedly employing thousands of Chinese workers in semiskilled construction positions. However most anger in such protests is directed at the employers rather than the Chinese workers themselves; they are perceived to be in a similar situation to Nigerians, forced to take difficult jobs far from home in order to make ends meet, and thus attract sympathy as much as resentment.
competition, attracting roughly 300 participants.
The West Africa United Business Weekly, believed to be the first Chinese-language newspaper in west Africa, was established in 2005. China's official People's Daily
also sought to form a partnership with Nigerian national newspaper Thisday
in 2006.
Overseas Chinese
Overseas Chinese are people of Chinese birth or descent who live outside the Greater China Area . People of partial Chinese ancestry living outside the Greater China Area may also consider themselves Overseas Chinese....
population in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
.
Migration history
In 1930, colonial NigeriaColonial Nigeria
Colonial Nigeria ran from 1800 till October 1, 1960 when it gained independence. Up until the amalgamation of 1914, the country's constituting parts existed as separate British protectorates.-Abolition of the Slave Trade:...
's census showed four Chinese people living there. Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
investors began opening factories in Nigeria as early as the 1950s. By 1965 there were perhaps 2,000 Chinese people in the country. However, like other foreigners, many Chinese have fled the country during the civil war
Nigerian Civil War
The Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Nigerian-Biafran War, 6 July 1967–15 January 1970, was a political conflict caused by the attempted secession of the southeastern provinces of Nigeria as the self-proclaimed Republic of Biafra...
. The Chinese population slowly rebounded after the war. By 1999, that number had grown to over 10,800, including 630 from Taiwan and 1,050 from Hong Kong.
Investors and technical staff
One early Hong Kong company in Nigeria was the Li Group. It grew in scale, and by 2011 Kano trade unionists believed to be the city's largest private employer, with up to 7,000 employees there and 20,000 nationwide. There were a number of other early Chinese entrepreneurs in Nigeria as well. Shen Wenbo (沈文伯) arrived in 1959, and began working in a Lebanese-owned ceramics factory. In 1972, he purchased an enamelware factory, sourcing his materials locally and exporting the finished product to Germany. He later began to import Chinese ceramics to Nigeria, making him possibly the first to introduce them on a commercial scale. He was also the first person of Chinese origin to naturalise as a Nigerian citizen. Zhu Nanyang (朱南揚), a ShanghaiShanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
native who moved to Hong Kong
Shanghainese people in Hong Kong
-Migration history:The flood of emigration from Shanghai to Hong Kong began in 1937 with the onset of the Second Sino-Japanese War, and grew as the Chinese Civil War resumed in 1936...
and then arrived in Nigeria in the 1960s, would go on to head up the Ikeja Industrial Area, a government-sponsored industrial development project established at Ikeja
Ikeja
Ikeja is an outer-ring suburb of the city of Lagos and capital of Lagos State. It is also one of Nigeria's 774 Local Government Areas . The Murtala Mohammed International Airport is located there...
] in 1986.
Chinese companies are widely believed to offer worse pay and labour conditions than local or other foreign companies, and to be unwilling to promote locals over Chinese nationals. A scholarly study found corroboration of poor working conditions, with one notorious case being a 2002 fire in a Chinese-owned plastics factory from which 45 workers were unable to escape as they were locked inside by their bosses. However, Chinese companies state that they prefer to recruit and retain local workers as the cost of attracting expatriate talent from China has risen. The Li Group, for example, has a total of about 500 Chinese employees. Another large Chinese company, Lagos-based Golden Telecommunications, employs about 300 Chinese staff, and an equal number of locals; wages are not as good as competitors, but their training programmes are superior.
Small vendors
Lagos's Chinatown (or China Commercial City, 中国商城) was built in 2004. It was raided in 2006 by Nigerian customs authorities and temporarily shut down. A Nigerian lawyer connected to the raid claims that Chinese were given impunity to sell pirated products. Chinese vendors themselves state that they are minimally profitable or unprofitable, and complain of corruption and theft by customs officials. Vendors therein formerly a wide range of products including textiles, doors, electronics, shoes, bags, books, and films, but by 2011, many vendors had closed shop and returned to China; the range of products on offer had also shrunk, with traders stating that the only profitable businesses were those selling shirts, jeans, or shoes.Other locations with concentrations of Chinese vendors include Old Dragon City (老龙城), New Dragon City (新龙城), and Jinmao Commercial Building (金贸商厦). As of 2006 there were estimated to be about 250 Chinese trading companies operating in Nigeria, with a total turnover of about US$300 million. Such vendors also often find themselves the target of robberies and violent crimes.
Migrant labour
Chinese labourers in Nigeria are the most controversial category of migrants. They are employed not just by Chinese or other foreign firms, but by indigenous firms as well, including some which proudly advertise their Nigerian roots. One example is Aliko DangoteAliko Dangote
Alhaji Aliko Dangote , MFR, is a Nigerian businessman based in Nigeria. He is the owner of the Dangote Group, which has operations in his homeland and several other countries in Africa, including Benin, Cameroon, Ghana, South Africa and Zambia...
's Dangote Group
Dangote Group
The Dangote Group is currently the largest industrial conglomerate in West Africa and one of the largest in Africa. It generated revenue in excess of US$1.25 billion 2005. The group is one of the leading diversified business conglomerates in Africa...
, which along with French conglomerate Lafarge
Lafarge
Lafarge is a French industrial company specialising in four major products: cement, construction aggregates, concrete and gypsum wallboard. In 2010 the company was the world's second-largest cement manufacturer by mass shipped behind Holcim.-History:...
attracted protests in Lagos in 2010 for allegedly employing thousands of Chinese workers in semiskilled construction positions. However most anger in such protests is directed at the employers rather than the Chinese workers themselves; they are perceived to be in a similar situation to Nigerians, forced to take difficult jobs far from home in order to make ends meet, and thus attract sympathy as much as resentment.
Organisations and media
In December 2010, the West Africa and Nigeria Overseas Chinese Joint Association was established in a ceremony in Lagos attended by roughly 100 guests, including representatives of overseas Chiense associations in Senegal, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Mali, and Benin. Other Chinese community organisations in the country include the Nigeria Chinese Business Association (尼日利亚中国商贸企业协会) and the Nigerian Council for the Promotion of Peaceful Reunification of China. In 2008, community organisations and Chinese companies jointly organised a karaokeKaraoke
is a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...
competition, attracting roughly 300 participants.
The West Africa United Business Weekly, believed to be the first Chinese-language newspaper in west Africa, was established in 2005. China's official People's Daily
People's Daily
The People's Daily is a daily newspaper in the People's Republic of China. The paper is an organ of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China , published worldwide with a circulation of 3 to 4 million. In addition to its main Chinese-language edition, it has editions in English,...
also sought to form a partnership with Nigerian national newspaper Thisday
Thisday
THISDAY is a Nigerian national newspaper. It is the flagship newspaper of Leaders & Company Ltd and was first published on 22 January 1995. It has its headquarters in Apapa, Lagos, Lagos State....
in 2006.
External links
NigeriaBBS, web portal and forum for Chinese in Nigeria- Chinese engineers boost Nigeria's roads, 2010 China DailyChina DailyThe China Daily is an English language daily newspaper published in the People's Republic of China.- Overview :China Daily was established in June 1981 and has the widest print circulation of any English-language newspaper in the country...
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