This book offers a pioneering comparative analysis of the international relations of subnational governments (SNGs) in two of Africa’s most influential geopolitical actors: South Africa and Nigeria.

Using an interdisciplinary approach that draws from political science, international relations, and legal studies, the book examines the motivations, instruments, institutional mechanisms, and challenges shaping the external engagements of SNGs in these leading African economies. Through case studies, the book provides critical insights into how constitutional, institutional, and historical contexts influence subnational international relations from an African perspective. Drawing on these findings, the book argues that paradiplomacy in Africa is best understood through the lens of developmental paradiplomacy, where socio-economic imperatives, rather than political autonomy, drive subnational international engagement. It demonstrates how the need for practical cooperation and the pursuit of local and regional economic development has been central to sustaining the international involvement of African SNGs, a strategy born out of necessity rather than an expression of political self-determination.

This book will be an essential resource for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners seeking to understand the role of subnational actors in global governance and African development, offering fresh perspectives on the evolving landscape of international relations in the Global South.