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Nigeria and South Africa: A 30-Year Partnership With Promising Future

13:03, 23 December 2024

Muhammad Nooh Osman

Writer/Editor

Recently, Presidents Cyril Ramaphosa and Bola Ahmed Tinubu co-chaired the 11th meeting of the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission (BNC) during Tinubu's visit to South Africa. This year marks the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, which were established in February 1994, and the 25th anniversary of the BNC.

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Thirty years after establishing diplomatic relations, Abuja and Pretoria are navigating a complex landscape of cooperation and challenges, according to Victor A.O. Adetula, a professor of International Relations and Development Studies at the University of Jos.

"Both nations are committed to strengthening their bilateral ties and providing leadership on the continent. This partnership has the potential to significantly elevate Africa's status and influence in global affairs, offering a promising future," Prof. Adetula told Sputnik Africa, reflecting on the 11th Session of the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission (BNC), co-chaired earlier this month by presidents Cyril Ramaphosa and Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The professor stressed the importance of both countries' involvement in the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) as a vehicle for economic integration.

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He noted the significant potential for synergy between their economies, with Nigeria’s large population and South Africa’s advanced infrastructure.

"However, one of the biggest challenges for the AfCFTA will be to grow intra-African trade, which has, on average, been about 15% of Africa's total trade. Thus, African countries must ensure that the economic, regulatory, and political environment enables trade, industrial development and regional value chains," he cautioned.

Prof. Adetula argued that the BNC and AfCFTA, both grounded in Pan-African ideals, provide a framework for addressing these issues through policy harmonization and effective collaboration.

He stressed the potential for the two countries, as Africa's largest economies, to jointly lead the continent in reshaping the global order.

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The academician also argued that regional integration is paramount in achieving this goal. By working together within different frameworks, the two nations can promote self-reliance and development, renegotiating Africa's position within the global order.

"When policies are initiated towards the promotion and coordination of efforts to control the activities of TNCs [collective control of transnational corporations] within the region and promote industrialization as a means of checking constant vulnerability to changes in the global economy and the stimulation of the regional market and specialization, these will encourage a restructuring of the global system," he said.

Ultimately, Prof. Adetula envisions a collective regional effort to redress existing power imbalances between Africa and the global North, creating a more just international system.