Afrocentrism as Diplomatic Practice: The Abuja-Pretoria Axis

This book’s major contribution is deploying the conceptual framework of Afrocentrism, which underscores Nigeria and South Africa’s Afrocentric posture in the pursuit of their foreign policy objectives, both bilaterally and multilaterally. Indeed, Afrocentrism presents an important framework for understanding Nigeria-South Africa relations and the regional powers’ relations with other states in Africa and beyond. The salience of Afrocentrism stems from the fact that both states see Africa as the centre-piece of their foreign policies. Additionally, this book delves into dimensions that surpass previous studies by exploring key aspects such as space diplomacy and diaspora diplomacy, which are critical to the bilateral and multilateral relations of the two states. It further introduces the concept of de-Afrocentrism into international relations discourse.

Oluwaseun Tella is the Head of the Future of Diplomacy at the University of Johannesburg’s Institute for the Future of Knowledge in South Africa. He holds a doctorate in Political Science from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.