NIGERIA – SOUTH AFRICA RELATIONS AND THE IMPERATIVES OF SUSTAINABLE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Nigeria and South Africa stand as the two most dominant economies in Africa, and their bilateral relations have increasingly become central to discussions on regional economic integration and industrial development. However, despite growing trade relations and foreign direct investment flows between both countries, Nigeria’s industrial sector remains relatively underdeveloped, raising critical concerns about the developmental impact of such partnerships. This study therefore investigates the extent to which Nigeria–South Africa relations have contributed to sustainable industrial development in Nigeria. The main objective of the study is to assess whether these bilateral engagements foster industrial growth or reinforce structural dependency that limits Nigeria’s industrial transformation. The study adopts a qualitative research methodology, relying on secondary sources such as scholarly articles, policy reports, and institutional publications. Dependency Theory serves as the theoretical framework, providing an analytical lens through which to explain the asymmetric economic relations between the two countries and how such imbalances affect industrial outcomes in Nigeria. The significance of this study lies in its contribution to understanding the complexities of intra-African economic relations and their implications for sustainable development policy formulation. The findings reveal that although Nigeria–South Africa relations have enhanced trade expansion, attracted foreign investment, and facilitated limited technology transfer, they simultaneously reinforce dependency patterns and weaken Nigeria’s domestic industrial capacity. The study concludes that, without deliberate policy intervention, bilateral relations may continue to reproduce structural imbalances rather than promote industrial sustainability. It therefore recommends stronger institutional frameworks, effective technology transfer mechanisms, and robust local content development policies to ensure that Nigeria fully benefits from its economic relations with South Africa.