- Says Nigeria and South Africa Need to Provide Political Leadership for Africa
By Abiola Olawale
In light of the complex relationship between Nigeria and South Africa, eminent international affairs scholar-diplomat and immediate past Chief of Staff to former President Muhammadu Buhari, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, has underlined the necessity for the two nations to collaborate and consolidate their efforts to advance the collective interests of Africa.
Gambari, who has served variously as United Nations Under-Secretary-General (Political Affairs), and Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister, at different times, asserted that the enduring tensions in the relationship between Nigeria and South Africa are exerting a detrimental influence on Africa’s reputation on the global stage.
The New Diplomat reports that the relationship between Nigeria and South Africa has often been categorised by several diplomats under three major pillars – conflict, cooperation, and competition.
Some diplomats had opined that the strained relationship between both countries is because of their respective huge aspirations to play a more decisive leadership role on the continent.
According to a 2023 report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Nigeria and South Africa have a combined $1.8 trillion in 2023, comprising over 30% of Africa’s total GDP.
In reinforcing this assertion, Gambari, who had previously served as the Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the United Nations, while speaking in Abuja on May 10, 2024, at an event organized to celebrate 30 years of indispensable relationship between South Africa and Nigeria, emphasized that the prospects of Africa are intricately linked to the collective utilization of their economic leverage by both nations to advance security and foster development across the continent.
According to the Columbia University educated notable scholar-diplomat, the African Union is suffering from a lack of leadership, primarily stemming from the competitive dynamics between Nigeria and South Africa.
Giving recommendations on how to improve the relationship between the two nations, Gambari said: “Were Nigeria and South Africa to work more closely together, especially on African issues, they would achieve so much, given their strong political, economic, and military positions both nationally and regionally.
“Continental institutions such as the AU, NEPAD, and the APRM (which I chaired between 2019 and 2020) are still in urgent need of strengthening. The creation of a robust partnership between Nigeria and South Africa to provide political leadership for Africa is thus crucial for these institutions to become more effective.
“In closing, let me kindly offer five concrete recommendations for enhancing this indispensable relationship.
“First, to offset the instability that an over-reliance on personal relationships like that between presidents Mbeki and Obasanjo can bring to bilateral relations, strong mechanisms to institutionalise and sustain the partnership need to be fostered, and the relationship should be directed by principles rather than by the exigencies of Realpolitik.
“Second, were the two countries to coordinate their efforts more closely at the AU and the UN, Africa would be more likely to be seen in global fora as a continent capable of defining and defending its interests effectively. Differences, therefore, need to be better managed under a strong binational commission.”
The international affairs mogul also called for the implementation of policies that would promote good relationships between the citizens of the two nations. Nigeria and South Africa both have a history of xenophobia attacks. This has continued to define the relationship between both countries’ nationals.
Between February 2000 and February 2017, at least 116 Nigerians were reported killed in South Africa xenophobic attacks.
Also, relations between both countries were damaged in 2012 when 125 Nigerian travellers to South Africa were reportedly expelled due to not having valid Yellow Fever certificates. In retaliation, Nigeria reportedly expelled 56 South African businesspeople.
Gambari continued: “Third, people-to-people relations must crucially also be strongly promoted, with, for example, 73,000 Nigerians having visited South Africa in 2012, spending about R720 million in the country Business opportunities should also be actively pursued and supported, with the South African and Nigerian Chambers of Commerce more closely engaged by both governments in the future implementation plans of the BNC’s economic decisions.
“Fourth, an ECOWAS/SADC trade deal linked to the African Continental Free Trade Area can lower and remove trade barriers, thus driving regional integration in Africa beyond the currently paltry 14% of intra-continental trade.
“Finally, to resolve bilateral differences on the UN Security Council, I have long argued that Nigeria and South Africa should push for one of the three rotating African seats to be reserved for Africa’s great powers to ensure consistently strong African representation on the Council.
“Only through implementing ideas such as these to strengthen bilateral ties can both Nigeria and South Africa fulfil the long-awaited dream of an African Renaissance,” Gambari, a former Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) concluded.
