China’s Role in Nigeria’s Railway Development: Public Opinion in Abuja and Lagos

China's Exim Bank financing of Nigeria's standard gauge railway projects, including the Lagos-Ibadan and Abuja-Kaduna lines, has placed Beijing at the centre of Nigeria's most significant transport infrastructure expansion in decades. This study examines public opinion on China's role in Nigeria's railway development, focusing on residents of Lagos and Abuja as the two cities with the highest public exposure to Chinese-built rail infrastructure. A survey design was adopted, with questionnaires administered to 300 Lagos residents and 200 Abuja residents who use or live near Chinese-built railway corridors. Opinions were assessed on five dimensions: construction quality, operational performance, fairness of financing terms, local employment impact, and national sovereignty implications. Results indicate broadly positive assessments of railway construction quality and operational performance, with 78 percent of respondents rating service as good or excellent. Concerns about financing terms are prevalent, with 55 percent expressing worry about debt sustainability. Local employment impact is rated as unsatisfactory by 61 percent, with the perception that Chinese workers dominate skilled positions. National sovereignty concerns linked to sovereign asset pledging in loan agreements are raised by 44 percent. The study concludes that Chinese railway infrastructure generates high public utility value but faces legitimacy challenges related to financing transparency and employment localisation, requiring stronger government communication strategies.

Keywords: Chinese railway, public opinion, Abuja, Lagos, infrastructure financing