The handover of a new headquarters for the ECOWAS in Abuja by China has sparked fresh debate over Beijing’s growing role in West Africa and the intent behind such high profile projects.
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According to Eghosa Osaghae, director general of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, the framing of the issue often misses the point.
According to Eghosa Osaghae, director general of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, the framing of the issue often misses the point.
“The history of global and international relations shows that goodwill and cooperation are constant. These gestures often manifest in tangible support,” he told BusinessDay.
The ECOWAS building, valued at $56.5m and known as the “Eye of West Africa,” is not China’s first such project. Beijing also financed and constructed the African Union Headquarters.
“So China’s involvement is not new,” Osaghae said. “No country or regional organisation rejects a gift outright. No region is entirely self-sufficient. The world operates on mutual support and practical partnerships.”
While concerns persist over possible hidden conditions tied to foreign aid, Osaghae dismissed suggestions of outright control.
“That assumption depends on the idea of hidden strings. But there is no clear evidence that such donations translate into control,” he said, pointing to the independence of the African Union despite China’s role in building its headquarters.
Instead, he described the relationship in terms of influence.
“If you’re thinking about strings, it is more accurate to speak of leverage. China may gain goodwill. That is normal in international relations. Influence does not equal control.”
At the handover, Yu Dunhai, the Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, rejected claims of ulterior motives, saying China’s engagement with Africa is based on “mutual respect, equality, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation.”
“We follow the principle of noninterference and no political conditions attached,” he said, adding that the project would strengthen ECOWAS capacity and regional development.
For Osaghae, the bigger picture is clear. “It is not charity. Africa is not begging. This is diplomacy.”
