Corporate Governance Structures and the Performance of Joint Venture Firms Between Nigerian and Chinese Partners

This study investigates the relationship between corporate governance structures and the performance of joint venture firms formed between Nigerian and Chinese business partners, a form of bilateral business collaboration that has grown substantially in Nigeria's construction, manufacturing, and telecommunications sectors. Sino-Nigerian joint ventures present unique governance challenges arising from divergent institutional backgrounds, ownership philosophies, information asymmetries, and cultural orientations toward hierarchy and contract enforcement. The study adopts a descriptive and analytical research design, collecting primary data through semi-structured interviews with 40 senior executives and board directors of Sino-Nigerian joint ventures in Lagos, Abuja, and Kano, supplemented by analysis of joint venture agreements and governance documentation. Thematic and content analysis methods are applied. The theoretical framework draws on agency theory, resource dependence theory, and cross-cultural management literature. The study examines governance dimensions including board composition and independence, dispute resolution mechanisms, profit repatriation policies, and management control allocation between Chinese and Nigerian partners. Findings are expected to reveal that governance conflicts arise most frequently around profit distribution timelines, staffing of senior technical positions, and transparency in financial reporting, with formal governance structures often insufficient to resolve culturally rooted trust deficits. Recommendations are directed at business associations, the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, and joint venture partners on designing governance frameworks that explicitly address cross-cultural management tensions while protecting both parties' interests. Keywords: corporate governance, joint ventures, Sino-Nigerian, China, business performance