Repositioning South Africa in global economic governance: a perspective from Nigeria

Abstract

This paper adopts a Nigerian perspective to South Africa's position in global economic governance, particularly in relation to its role in the BRICS and G20. It is informed by the challenge of transforming Africa's current marginal role in global economic governance, and the kind(s) of regional partnerships that Africa's largest economies can strategically develop and use to place the continent on a higher economic pedestal globally. The paper places challenges confronting Africa in context, exploring how South Africa, by negotiating a strategic partnership with other continental economic powers outside of the BRICS, such as Nigeria, stands to leverage Africa's role and global position on a ‘win–win’ basis. It concludes by noting the costs and potential benefits of such a partnership, and offers some suggestions on the way forward.

Keywords:

• South Africa
• Nigeria
• Africa's global position
• global economic governance
• BRICS
• G20

Notes on contributor

Cyril Obi is the programme director of the African Peacebuilding Network at the Social Sciences Research Council in New York, and also a research associate with the Department of Political Sciences at the University of Pretoria, South Africa, and a visiting scholar with the Institute of African Studies, Columbia University, New York.

Notes

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