Sino-Nigerian Security Cooperation: An Analysis of Military and Police Training Arrangements

China's security cooperation with Nigeria has expanded beyond economic and infrastructure engagement to include military equipment supply, police training, and joint counter-terrorism dialogue. The analytical literature on Sino-Nigerian security cooperation is thin, and its implications for Nigerian security sector governance have been incompletely examined. This study analyses the scope, nature, and governance implications of Sino-Nigerian security cooperation arrangements from 2010 to 2023. A documentary analysis design was adopted, examining bilateral defence cooperation agreements, military visit records, Chinese equipment procurement records, and reports from the Defence Information of Nigeria and Chinese Ministry of National Defence. Structured interviews were conducted with ten retired Nigerian military officers, five security policy analysts, and three civil society representatives engaged with security sector reform. Results reveal that Sino-Nigerian security cooperation has expanded in three areas: CCTV surveillance system supply for urban policing in Lagos and Abuja, military equipment sales including armoured vehicles and patrol boats, and officer exchange training programmes. Evidence of conditionality linking security cooperation to political alignment with Chinese positions is not supported in the examined record. However, surveillance technology transfer raises concerns about compatibility with Nigerian data protection frameworks. The study contributes an analytical evidence base to a policy area dominated by speculation and recommends that the National Assembly oversight committees review security cooperation terms against Nigerian civil liberty standards.

Keywords: Sino-Nigerian security cooperation, military training, surveillance technology, security governance, analytical study