Same Same but Different: Governance in Nigeria and South Africa According to APRM Country Reviews

The document analyzes the governance trajectories of Nigeria and South Africa through the lens of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). While both nations have established democratic frameworks and seen some progress, the author finds that stagnation or regression persists in critical areas. In Nigeria, challenges include electoral trust, corruption, and insecurity driven by Boko Haram. In South Africa, the focus is on extreme inequality, xenophobia, and the failure to fully realize the 'liberal democratic Republic' envisioned in its constitution. Both countries struggle with poor policy implementation and gender-based violence.

• Nigeria has made progress in entrenching democratic principles and electoral reforms, but public trust in electoral processes remains a challenge, and the system is compromised by 'commercialised' democratic processes and extensive vote buying.
• In Nigeria, the balance of power remains skewed toward the executive, with the legislature and judiciary often subordinated or limited by executive interference, partly due to a 1999 constitution that maintains a strong presidential system.
• Nigeria faces persistent security threats and human rights violations, with the second APRM review highlighting the specific threat of the Boko Haram insurgency, which disproportionately affects women, children, and youth.
• Despite a 48.1% increase in nominal GDP between 2009 and 2020, Nigeria's Human Development Index (HDI) remains low (0.539 in 2019), a situation attributed to an over-dependence on oil and gas and poor implementation of developmental policies.
• South Africa is described as a 'democracy under severe socio-economic distress,' where the legacies of apartheid—including pervasive poverty and inequitable wealth distribution—persist despite a progressive constitution.
• South Africa struggles with systemic xenophobia and violence against migrants, with the second review reporting that over 400 foreigners have been killed and 100,000 displaced in attacks since 2008.
• Extreme land and wealth inequality persists in South Africa, with a land audit showing that 72% of land is owned by the minority white population, contributing to resource competition and tensions in township communities.
• Both Nigeria and South Africa exhibit a gap between the existence of formal policy frameworks and their actual implementation, particularly regarding corruption, gender-based violence, and the rule of law.

APA

BOSMAN-BURNETT, I. (2025). Same Same but Different: Governance in Nigeria and South Africa According to APRM Country Reviews. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/SAIIA_PI_170_SameSameNigeriaSA.pdf

Chicago

BOSMAN-BURNETT, ISABEL. Same Same but Different: Governance in Nigeria and South Africa According to APRM Country Reviews. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2025. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/SAIIA_PI_170_SameSameNigeriaSA.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=BOSMAN-BURNETT |first1=ISABEL |title=Same Same but Different: Governance in Nigeria and South Africa According to APRM Country Reviews |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=October 2025 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/SAIIA_PI_170_SameSameNigeriaSA.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{bosmanburnett2025same, author = {BOSMAN-BURNETT, ISABEL}, title = {{Same Same but Different: Governance in Nigeria and South Africa According to APRM Country Reviews}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2025}, month = oct, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/SAIIA_PI_170_SameSameNigeriaSA.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }