This study employs an ex post facto design to examine how Nigeria agencies have engaged with China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in pursuit of its infrastructure goals. Drawing on complex interdependence theory, it analyzes multiple channels of Nigeria–China interaction, including formal state agreements, institutional partnerships, and non-state economic linkages. The research compiles and critically reviews secondary and primary data; official reports, academic studies, policy documents on BRI infrastructure projects in Nigeria. It explores Nigeria’s agency by assessing the choices made by Nigerian authorities within the asymmetrical but interdependent relationship. The analysis shows that while Nigeria has leveraged BRI financing to address infrastructure deficits, its actual influence over project design and terms is shaped by bargaining dynamics and domestic constraints. Findings suggest that Nigeria’s agency is enhanced when it sets clear infrastructure priorities, ensures transparency in negotiations, and diversifies funding sources. The study concludes that under complex interdependence, Nigeria and China have mutual interests in infrastructure investment and trade but also competing goals.