Internal, Regional and External Impediments to Nigeria and South Africa’s Hegemonic Competence in Africa

Abstract

This chapter responds to a fundamental question: do Nigeria and South Africa act as effective hegemons in Africa? This is examined against the backdrop of the internal, regional and external impediments to the African powerhouses’ regional hegemonic competence. The chapter discusses the relative edge of these states’ capabilities in the various dimensions of power (both hard and soft) and their attendant influence on the continent. However, the debilitating hindrances both states encounter in their domestic and international domains circumscribe their hegemonic pretentions. The chapter highlights these impediments, and concludes that the extent to which Nigeria and South Africa are able to act as effective hegemons will be determined by how well they ameliorate the constraints to their hegemonic aspirations at the domestic and international levels.