Beijing - Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua was due to arrive in Beijing late on Wednesday for a visit expected to see the two nations deepen economic and energy ties, officials said.
Yar'Adua was scheduled to meet with senior officials including President Hu Jintao and sign various agreements during his four-day trip, China's foreign ministry said.
In Nigeria, presidential spokesperson Olusegun Adeniyi said the visit was aimed primarily at reinforcing economic cooperation, "particularly in the oil and gas sector".
Nigeria, Africa's biggest oil producer, and China were expected to "sign agreements on energy-related matters," he said.
China has reached out aggressively to Africa in recent years in a drive that has seen it land major trade deals but also led to criticism that it is coddling African dictators in its quest for natural resources.
China has rejected the accusations, calling its African ties a "win-win" situation, while generally remaining diplomatically silent on the controversial history of Western nations and companies in Africa.
China is Africa's third-largest trading partner and bilateral trade reached $55,5-billion (about R417,36-billion)in 2006, a five-fold increase from 2001, according to the latest official figures.
Aside from oil deals with Nigeria, China has helped the country build railways and hydroelectric dams, while last year it launched a telecommunications satellite for the nation.
Yar'Adua's visit comes after a Nigerian court on Tuesday upheld his April 2007 election victory, dismissing two opposition petitions that called for a re-run on grounds of electoral fraud. - Sapa-AFP