Unpacking the South Africa-Nigeria relationship ahead of the AU Summit

This research paper examines the bilateral relationship between South Africa and Nigeria, highlighting a mix of strong economic ties and diplomatic tensions. It argues for the institutionalization of their cooperation to move beyond the influence of individual leaders and to better address regional and global challenges.

• South Africa and Nigeria share similar domestic challenges, including the consolidation of democracies and the need to close poverty gaps resulting from military rule in Nigeria and apartheid in South Africa. Both nations face internal divisions—race and class in South Africa, and ethnic and religious lines in Nigeria—which have recently triggered violent protests.
• Bilateral trade between South Africa and Nigeria grew significantly between 1999 and 2008, increasing from R 174 million to R 22.8 billion. By 2008, this trade accounted for nearly 25% of South Africa's total trade on the African continent. During this period, South African exports to Nigeria rose from R 505 million to R 7.1 billion, while Nigerian exports to South Africa increased from R 123.6 million to R 15.7 billion.
• Despite economic cooperation, the two countries have experienced diplomatic friction and regional disagreements. This includes a diplomatic spat over deportations in March 2012, differing approaches to the 2010 electoral crisis in Côte d’Ivoire, and a lack of consensus regarding Libya.
• The relationship has historically relied on the personal connections between leaders, such as Obasanjo and Mbeki, who collaborated on peacekeeping and the "African Renaissance" via NEPAD. To ensure sustainable outcomes, there is an urgent need to institutionalize the relationship through platforms like the Bilateral National Commission (BNC), which recently met in Cape Town on 22-23 May 2012 after a four-year hiatus.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2012). Unpacking the South Africa-Nigeria relationship ahead of the AU Summit. https://saiia.org.za/research/unpacking-the-south-africa-nigeria-relationship-ahead-of-the-au-summit/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Unpacking the South Africa-Nigeria relationship ahead of the AU Summit. 2012. https://saiia.org.za/research/unpacking-the-south-africa-nigeria-relationship-ahead-of-the-au-summit/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Unpacking the South Africa-Nigeria relationship ahead of the AU Summit |date=12 July 2012 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/unpacking-the-south-africa-nigeria-relationship-ahead-of-the-au-summit/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2012unpacking, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Unpacking the South Africa-Nigeria relationship ahead of the AU Summit}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2012}, month = jul, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/unpacking-the-south-africa-nigeria-relationship-ahead-of-the-au-summit/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }