Nigeria and South Africa have been at the forefront of conflict-management initiatives in Africa in recent years. Both countries account for at least 60 percent of the economy of their respective sub-regions in West and Southern Africa. According to Adekeye Adebajo, Director of the Institute for Pan-African Thought and Conversation at the University of Johannesburg, the success of political and economic integration in Africa heavily relies on these two regional powers, which have both collaborated and competed in crucial relationships.
Areas of Dispute, Competition, and Cooperation
Citizens of both countries hold strong views about each other. Nigerians often express concerns about the perceived ingratitude of South Africans for the role Nigeria played in the anti-apartheid struggle. They also criticize what they see as South Africa's mercantilist behavior, where South African companies dominate the Nigerian market while the South African market remains relatively closed to Nigerian companies.
Conversely, South Africans frequently complain about Nigerian involvement in drug trafficking and fraudulent scams. South African companies also cite bureaucratic obstacles and a lack of infrastructure as major challenges in doing business in Nigeria.
These views align with a pattern where South Africans tend to direct negative stereotypes towards Nigerian citizens, while Nigerians often target South African companies with their stereotypes. However, the contribution of South African firms to a wider range of services and goods in Nigeria is undeniable.
Similarities and Differences
Both Nigerians and South Africans share certain attributes with Americans. Nigerians are often seen as loud, brash, and arrogant, similar to the American stereotype, while South Africans, like America, are an information-rich society that can be surprisingly ignorant about its own region.
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Nigeria stands out as one of the most ethnically and indigenously diverse countries on the continent, whereas South Africa is the most racially diverse and Westernized. Culturally, the black majority in South Africa struggles to overcome the legacy of Bantu education, while Nigeria boasts the largest black intelligentsia in the world. In terms of higher education, South Africa has well-funded, high-quality universities, but Nigeria's institutions of higher learning are deteriorating due to years of neglect and government closures.
Opportunities for women are limited in both countries, leading to advocacy for quotas to ensure their inclusion. Such measures are seen as a way to change cultural attitudes by demonstrating women's competence in various roles.
Contrasting the two countries’ attitudes about human rights, “While the South African liberal constitution has entrenched gay rights, Nigeria in 2014 criminalized homosexuality with 14-year jail terms.”
Economic Disparities
The Johannesburg stock exchange capitalization is 15 times larger than that in Lagos.
South Africa vs Nigeria Country Comparison
Shared Traits
Here are some of the enumerated similarities between Nigeria and South Africa:
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- Both countries were born out of British amalgamations.
- Both trained regional elites at universities for decades.
- Both were heavily dependent on mineral resources.
- Both have companies that have expanded to dominate their sub-regional economies.
- Both have had a tremendous cultural impact on the continent.
- Both are prone to violence and vigilantism.
- Both have very high youth unemployment rates, creating a "ticking time bomb."
- Both are failing to provide adequate jobs for young people.
The vast majority of Nigerians in South Africa are law-abiding citizens who contribute tremendously to South Africa’s social and economic life.
Engaging with Global Powers
Despite any disdain from Washington, Africa cannot ignore the United States, which remains the largest economy in the world and the third-largest investor in Africa with a massive military presence. Engagement with Washington is essential, but it is equally important to leverage the growing presence of China, the largest investor in Africa, to balance relationships with the US, Europeans, and other active powers.
China often has clear objectives in Africa, but African nations need to strategically define how they want to leverage China's presence, particularly in building much-needed infrastructure that traditional donors and institutions are no longer investing in.
There is no reason not to take advantage of the opportunities that arise from engaging with China. However, both Nigeria and South Africa have been criticized for their failure to better shape the work of the African Union. The AU's budget, particularly in the security field, is heavily reliant on external actors, leading to interventions that often align with the interests of the EU rather than the needs of Africa.
Political Participation and Governance
Reported political participation rates in the three African countries surveyed are highest for traditional forms of participation, such as voting, attending campaign events, and participating in volunteer organizations. Younger adults are less likely to have voted compared to older adults, especially in Kenya and South Africa. Gender also plays a significant role in political participation in Nigeria, where women are less likely than men to engage in campaign events, volunteer organizations, or voting.
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Taking part in organized protests is less common than traditional forms of participation, and online political participation remains relatively low. Majorities in all three African countries surveyed believe that the government is run for the benefit of only a few groups of people, with South Africans being particularly likely to hold this view. However, those with a secondary education or more are more likely to believe that ordinary citizens can influence the government.
Nigeria's Diminished Diplomatic Power
Recent events, such as the violent attacks on Nigerians and other Africans in South Africa, highlight Nigeria's diminished diplomatic power. While Nigeria once played a significant role in isolating the apartheid regime in South Africa and intervening in regional conflicts, it now lacks the military, intelligence, and diplomatic clout to effectively address such issues.
Nigeria's geopolitical power has waned in recent years due to internal challenges, such as the rebellion in the north and tribal violence. The government has also struggled to gain the trust of Western powers, as evidenced by the blocking of arms sales to the Nigerian military.
Economic Weakness
The more contrasting feature of the two economies, and which again highlights Nigeria’s weakness is that while Abuja levers around a commodity-dependent economy, Pretoria has built a highly-diversified economy with a superior industrial structure. In other words, Nigeria needs South Africa economically, much more than South Africa needs Nigeria.
The legacy of this pan-African misadventure is a geopolitically weak Nigeria which cannot stand up to for itself and for its citizens. The redemption Nigeria needs is one that moves the country away from dependence on oil exports, foreign imports and interventions and towards diversification and industrialisation.
