A naval fleet of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) led by the destroyer Nanning arrived in Nigeria for a rare visit by the Chinese military to Africa's Atlantic coast, where Beijing has long made efforts to grow its influence.

The Chinese ambassador to Nigeria has hailed the five-day visit as a milestone in bilateral ties.

The Nigerian navy has expressed willingness to work with China to tackle maritime security threats and maintain stability in the Gulf of Guinea, the Chinese embassy said in a statement on Monday.

The destroyer and an accompanying frigate, Sanya, along with a supply ship, Weishanhu, arrived off the port of Lagos on Sunday, with the Nanning berthing for a port call through Thursday, the Nigerian navy said in a statement.

Oil-rich West Africa is an important global exporter of crude with Nigeria being the top supplier.

Major Chinese oil explorer CNOOC Ltd engages in deep-sea production off the coast of Nigeria.

In January, Nigeria opened a billion-dollar Chinese-built deep seaport in Lagos. The new Lekki deep sea port is one of the major ports in the region. China has widened its economic and military influence in Africa in recent years.