China has invested a total of $39 billion in Africa in 2025 as part of its Belt and Road Initiative, with Nigeria receiving the largest share, according to a new report released by Griffith University in Australia. Of the total investment, $21 billion was directed to Nigeria and $3.6 billion to Tanzania.
The report highlights that Africa has become the primary beneficiary of China’s international infrastructure strategy. However, Beijing has significantly reshaped its priorities, withdrawing new infrastructure financing from countries such as Cameroon, Madagascar, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.
According to the Griffith Asia Institute, the Chinese government is increasingly linking investment decisions to access to strategic resources such as natural gas, oil, and rare earth elements. Countries able to provide resource-backed guarantees are being prioritized.
Nigeria, with its massive gas industrial zone project in Ogidigben, emerged as the top recipient. Tanzania also benefited from investments aimed at improving infrastructure to facilitate the transport of minerals, including rare earth elements.
The report also noted that Chinese investments in Africa in 2025 increased nearly 400 percent compared to 2024.