School of Social Sciences (ETDs)

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    The economic and geopolitical implications of China’s BRI in Nigeria and Ethiopia: A comparative analysis
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Mojela, Tshenolo; Freer, Gordon
    The BRI, launched by China in 2013, has significantly reshaped global economic and geopolitical landscapes through extensive infrastructure projects to enhance global connectivity. This dissertation examines the economic and geopolitical implications of the BRI in Nigeria and Ethiopia, two pivotal African partners of the initiative. Despite a global decline in FDI to developing countries, Africa's FDI remained stable, with notable increases in BRI-related engagements. Nigeria and Ethiopia have received substantial investments, boosting their infrastructure and economic capacities while raising concerns about increased debt dependency and potential geopolitical shifts favouring China. Employing dependency theory, this research explores how the BRI influences Nigeria and Ethiopia's agency, economic dependencies, and sovereignty. This dissertation contributes to the broader understanding of the BRI's role in shaping Africa's geopolitical landscape and offers insights into the responses of African nations to this transformative global initiative. The findings are valuable for policymakers, scholars, and stakeholders interested in China's engagement strategy in Africa, informing the development of policies that leverage the benefits of the BRI while mitigating potential risks to ensure sustainable and equitable growth for African nations.
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    An Evaluation of Democratization Processes in West Africa: A Comparative Analysis of Nigeria’s and Ghana’s Democratic Governance
    (University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2024) Nevobasi, Aletta Adaaku
    Since 2022, the robustness and endurance of democracy in Africa have been subject to debate due to the rise in military coup d'états in sub-Saharan Africa. The rise of military takeover highlights the possible democratic regression on the continent. Therefore, it is imperative to examine the level of consolidation of democracy on the continent. This research study aims to evaluate the strength and quality of democratic governance in Africa by comparing Nigeria and Ghana. By utilizing the Democracy Index devised by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), this analysis evaluated the internal dynamics of both nations to determine their operationality or non- operationality. The five categories are used to assess the state of democracy in each country. To achieve this, the analysis relied on the five categories utilized by the EIU index to evaluate the state of democracy. The categories are 1. Electoral processes and pluralism 2. Functioning of government 3. Political participation 4. Civil liberties and 5. Political culture. The EIU Index offers a comprehensive evaluation of democracy through the inclusion of objective and subjective indicators. These variables were selected for this research as they best provide a comprehensive framework of the key components of a democratic system. In the category of electoral processes and pluralism, this report will compare the 2019 presidential elections in Nigeria to the 2020 presidential elections in Ghana. Regarding civil liberties, this report compared the perception of civil liberties in relation to ethnicity. Additionally, the report compared the pervasiveness of corruption in both Nigeria and Ghana, in the years 2019 and 2022 in the category functioning of government. In terms of political participation, the report will assess the involvement of women in parliament and politics since both nations formally restored democracy (Nigeria in 1999 and Ghana in 1992). Lastly, the report examined militarism in Nigeria and neo-patrimonialism in Ghana within the category of political culture. In conjunction with the presented case studies, this research report incorporated public opinions to further analyze the quality of democracy. It specifically compared social variations in the practice and perception of democracy. The report concludes by emphasizing the significance of leadership in advancing democracy, asserting that leadership challenges in Nigeria and Ghana contribute to hindered consolidation. Consequently, the report advocates for a reimagining of leadership, with a particular focus on the concept of thought leadership, thought liberation, and critical consciousness as three pivotal elements for advancing democracy.