IntroductionOne of the many by-products of globalization has been the wave of free trade agreements, bilateral trade agreements and regional trade agreements signed in internationally as markets respond to increasing global demand. Although China and Nigeria have signed bilateral trade agreements, it is clear that China has benefited more from this relationship than Nigeria, at least in the short term. If Nigeria wants to increase its economic development and reduce corruption within the political elite, promote good governance and effective monetary policies, it will be able to use the current influx of Chinese money from oil revenues to becoming a hub for many foreign investors venturing into this sector. the African market. In this article, we examine whether the association between these two countries should be seen as neocolonial exploitation by a global superpower or as a mutually beneficial relationship for emerging economies based on vital commodities such as crude oil. In the early 1950s and into the 1970s, China ventured into the African continent primarily as a promoter of Maoist-socialist teachings and command economics to nascent governments. In 1971, China and Nigeria established diplomatic relations which eventually led to permanent bilateral trade agreements and investments. However, it was not until the 1990s that China returned, as a foreign direct investor, with the intention of investing in projects that would exploit the continent's wealth of natural resources for export purposes. , its abundant reserves of natural resources and the diplomatic influence from which it would benefit. to forge strategic partnerships. Beginning in the late 1960s and continuing through the late 1990s...... middle of paper...... of democratization. Ibadan: French Institute for Research in Africa, 2001. (pp. 259-287) Web. .“Special economic zones”. Britannica: Academic Edition: Web. March 20, 2014. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/558530/special-economic-zone-SEZUdeala, Samuel Onuoha. “Nigeria-China economic relations within the framework of South-South cooperation”. African Journal of International Affairs, Vol. 13, numbers 1 and 2, pp. 61-88, 2013. Wagner, Daniel and Giorgio Cafiero. “China and Nigeria: neocolonialism, South-South solidarity or both? World Post. July 19, 2013. the web. February 20, 2014. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/daniel-wagner/china-and-nigeria-neocolo_b_3624204.htmlWaters Jr., Robert Anthony. “Historical Dictionary of United States-Africa Relations.” Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2009. Electronic (print)