Regional powers and leadership in regional institutions: Nigeria in ECOWAS and South Africa in SADC

Abstract: Regional powers are not always benevolent leaders when it comes to the building of regional institutions. While powerful states - particularly the "new" rising powers - may have a vested interest in regionalism as a means of projecting influence, regional powers may behave as coercive or benevolent leaders, or alternatively display an absence of leadership altogether. The drivers of varying regional power behavior can be attributed to their competing concerns regarding (economic) power, functional efficiency, international legitimacy, and neopatrimonial networks. This paper explores the varying behavior of Nigeria and South Africa in relation to the institutionalization of free trade areas and regional courts within their respective regions. Nigeria has displayed little leadership in ECOWAS trade integration due to domestic opposition; however, a newly-democratic Nigeria's search for international legitimacy drove the establishment of the ECOWAS Court of Justice. Likewise, South Af

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource, 30 S.
• Language: Englisch
• Notes: Erstveröffentlichung ; begutachtet (peer reviewed)

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: KFG Working Paper Series ; Bd. 76

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft
• Keyword: Economic Community of West African States ; Südafrikanische Entwicklungsgemeinschaft ; Mittelstaat ; Freihandelszone ; Freihandelsabkommen ; Gerichtsbarkeit ; Nigeria ; Südafrika

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (where): Berlin
• (when): 2016
• Creator: Hulse, Merran
• Contributor: Freie Universität Berlin, FB Politik- und Sozialwissenschaften, Otto-Suhr-Institut für Politikwissenschaft Kolleg-Forschergruppe "The Transformative Power of Europe"

Further information

• URN: urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-48897-9
• Rights: Open Access unbekannt; Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 25.03.2025, 1:56 PM CET