Conclusion

The study has comparatively explored the context, drivers, and expressions of paradiplomacy in two important African case studies: South Africa and Nigeria. These two case studies offer valuable insights into how constitutional, institutional, and historical contexts shape subnational engagement in international affairs from an African perspective. Overall, what is visible is the existence of convergence and divergence in the manifestation of foreign relations in the comparator nations, which will be elaborated upon subsequently. Hence, this concluding chapter synthesises the findings from the comparative analysis of subnational foreign relations in South Africa and Nigeria, as discussed in the previous chapters. The analysis in this chapter highlights the distinct and shared characteristics of paradiplomacy in Nigeria and South Africa while focusing on the constitutional, socio-economic, historical, and political determinants of the manifestation of paradiplomacy in these jurisdictions. Hence, the chapter aims to provide a more comprehensive understanding of how the SNGs of South Africa and Nigeria traverse the international space. Furthermore, the chapter addresses key points associated with convergence and divergence while offering recommendations for enhancing the paradiplomatic activities of the SNGs of the comparator nations. In the context of the overall scheme of this research, Chapter 6 aligns with the objectives laid out in the introductory chapter and integrates insights from other chapters.