NIGERIA/SOUTH AFRICA RELATIONS, THE JOURNEY SO FAR!

NIGERIA/SOUTH AFRICA RELATIONS, THE JOURNEY SO FAR!

 By Damilare Victor Erinfolami

The Nigeria/South African relations have on the overall being a testament of brotherhood that exists between the two African biggest economies and their pivotal roles in regional peace and development has put the two countries on a pedestal of continental leadership.

Both countries being former British colonies and members of Commonwealth of Nations and Africa Union shared common history and have been each other’s ‘Brothers Keeper’ at different times in history. During the era of Apartheid in South Africa, Nigeria was one of the Countries that supported the Anti-Apartheid Movements, including the African National Congress and gave help to Liberation Stalwarts, in form of Scholarships, Asylum and issued more than 300 international passports to South Africans who wants to travel abroad. Many opinion leaders, Human Right activists and musicians in Nigeria made statements and sing songs against the then Apartheid government in South Africa.

After the era of Apartheid in South Africa around 1994, Nigerians are welcomed with open-arms by the people of South Africa as a kind gesture for the brotherliness shown the country during the trying times. Thousands of Nigerians were given opportunities in areas where professional human capital immigration is needed and are soon settled in the country. Despite some misunderstandings arising from Nigeria’s ECOWAS interest position in the African Union Commission’s Chairperson elections that saw the South African former Minister of Home Affairs, Nkosana Dlamini-Zuma in as the Chairperson of the African Union both countries have since forged a stronger ties. South Africa led by President Nelson Mandela’s ANC mediated in the political crisis in Nigeria since 1993 following the annulment of the Nigerian elections on June 12, 1993. In June 1994 Nigeria's military ruler, General Sani Abacha arrested and sentenced for execution 40 political opponents including former Nigerian head of state President Olusegun Obasanjo as well as Chief Moshood Abiola. President Nelson Mandela sent Archbishop Desmond Tutu and then Deputy President Thabo Mbeki on successive missions to Nigeria to lobby for the release of Obasanjo, Abiola and nine others. The aftermath of the execution of the Ogoni Leaders led by Ken Saro-Wiwa in 1995 by General Sani Abacha’s government, South Africa is put in opposite direction to Nigeria, with South Africa calling for Sanctions and expulsion of Nigeria from the Commonwealth of Nations due to the military actions of the then Military government of Nigeria.

The Trade and Investment relations of both countries have been nothing but interesting since history, with South Africa making a remarkable success in the Telecommunication Industry in Nigeria, during the 2001 GSM launch and presently still getting a huge chunk from her investment in the industry. With South Africa investing $1.8 billion in building the Mobile telecommunication infrastructure in Nigeria and by 2005 MTN, the South African Telecommunication giant announced a Pre-tax earnings of N65 billion on Revenue of N199 billion between April, 2004 to March 31, 2005, coupled increased subscriber base of 123 percent and contributed R9.3 billion ( about $1.3bn) to the Group’s revenue.

South Africa-Nigeria Bi-National Commission also hosted in Pretoria in November 2009.The conference among others noted that OANDO, an energy conglomerate based in Lagos, Nigeria had recently been listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange and Dangote cement had invested a record $378 million in South Africa's cement industry which as since grown. With trade worth $2.1 billion traded between the two countries in 2008 and this increased to $3.6 billion by 2012.

 Statistics made available on Wikipedia analyses trade indices between the two countries from 2012 as 83% of trade was been taken up by South African imports of Nigerian crude oil. Between 2002 and 2012 South African imports from Nigeria have increased by 750% (mostly increases in oil imports) whilst Nigerian imports from South Africa have increased by 130%. The Nigeria - South Africa Chamber of Commerce serves to improve and facilitate bi-lateral trade relationships between Nigeria and South Africa. Its offices are in Lagos, Nigeria and it has in its membership 315 companies currently trading in both Nigeria and South Africa. It is made up of blue-chip companies, Nigerian companies and South African companies.

Nigerian business people have therefore expressed concern over the pace and perceived rapid expansion of South African business interests in the country but hoped that Nigerian businesses will also in due time enjoy similar opportunities in South Africa. The Nigeria/South African Bi-National Commission which is a veritable tool to promote relations between the two states has not done much in that direction.

With growing collaborations between the two countries and ongoing economic synergies, it is hope that the pockets of negativity in their relations will be expunged for a great and a prosperous relations that will be mutually beneficial.