THE ROLE OF SOFT POWER IN AFRICA: CASE STUDY OF CHINA’S HEALTH DIPLOMACY IN NIGERIA (2014-2020)
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Abstract
Africa’s relations with the rest of the world have not only been limited to ties with past colonial powers such as the United Kingdom, France, and Portugal amongst others. China has been challenging former colonial powers globally. China has also emerged to become one of the most influential on the continent, establishing footprints around many African countries. Chinese institutions have ramped up infrastructural development, loan support, and aid delivery to nearly all African states, presumably in a bid to improve China’s global reputation. As a case study, this paper focuses on China’s health diplomacy during the Ebola epidemic of 2014 and the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. The period has been a pivotal one for China-Nigeria's relationship with both opportunities and challenges. The study focuses on the notion of ‘soft power’ adopted by Joseph Nye to argue that China is using health diplomacy as a tool and strategy in strengthening its partnership with Nigeria. A quantitative research method has been applied to understand China’s partnership with Nigeria using data obtained through a survey of the Nigerian population. The study concludes that Nigerians have somewhat unfavorable opinions over China’s use of health diplomacy to boost its soft power in Nigeria.
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