Oluwaseun Tella
Biographic Data
| ID | 461903 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Oluwaseun Tella |
| GIVEN NAMES | Oluwaseun |
| FAMILY NAME | Tella |
| SIGNATURE | TELLA O |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of South Africa |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-4840-6785 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 22 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 50 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 21 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 1 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2016 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
Nigeria’s soft power and cultural diplomacy
Parallel struggles and divergent paths
The diaspora’s soft power in an age of global anti-Nigerian sentiment
The global anti-Nigerian sentiment that has engendered the state’s image crisis cannot be denied. This has circumscribed Abuja’s capacity to effectively wield its soft power in Africa and beyond. While successive Nigerian governments have striven to improve the country’s battered image through various initiatives, the state’s image remains negative. There can be no doubt that the diaspora contributes to this image crisis through the activities of…
The creative sector and soft power
While the literature is replete with the soft power potential of Nollywood and Afrobeats, no comprehensive analysis has been undertaken on the power of attraction of the Nigerian fashion industry. Given that the latter is one of the most critical industries in the Nigerian creative sector, an analysis of the soft power of the creatives is arguably incomplete without an account of the actual and potential soft power of the country’s fashion indust…
Nigeria’s Space Programme and Counter-Terrorism
The political economy of soft power
In recent times, the concept of soft power has emerged as one of the most important terms in international relations. It has been applied to various aspects of statecraft from democracy promotion to peace-making, cultural diplomacy, economic diplomacy, counter-terrorism and disaster management, to name but a few. However, there is a dearth of literature on the political economy of soft power. Given that economic interests substantially drive stat…
Cameroon’s Anglophone crisis and the question of the right to self-determination
Is Southern Cameroons entitled to self-determination under international law? This article examines that critical question against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in Southern Cameroons and the people’s quest for self-determination. While varied factors cause conflict, it has customarily been attributed to poor governance, non-compliance with the rule of law, injustice, inequality, abuse of minority rights, marginalisation, and colonially ind…
Nigeria's Democracy Promotion in Africa
Democracy promotion is undoubtedly one of Nigeria's most important foreign policy objectives in Africa. Indeed, it has featured in the state's foreign policy across successive administrations including military and civilian regimes. A fundamental question explored by this article is the dimension of power Nigeria deploys in its foreign policy objective of democracy promotion in Africa. Is it hard or soft, or a combination of the two (smart power)…
A Sleeping Giant?
Africa’s Soft Power
"This book investigates the ways in which soft power is used by African countries to help drive global influence. Selecting four of the countries most associated with soft power across the continent, this book delves into the currencies of soft power across the region: from South Africa's progressive constitution and expanding multinational corporations, to Nigeria's Nollywood film industry, Kenya's fashion, sport diplomacy, and tourism industrie…
Soft power individuals in Nigeria and South Africa
Despite the increasing influence of non-state actors in international affairs, soft power analysis in Africa and globally remains state-centric. By extension, assessment of individuals’ soft power is undeveloped. This article examines the extent to which, if at all, Olusegun Obasanjo and Thabo Mbeki wielded soft power in the international arena both during and after their presidencies. It examines their idiosyncratic traits and varied ideas and p…
The African Union’s Soft Power
Soft power is almost exclusively associated with states. International organizations, however, given their multilateral character, possess meaningful power of attraction that could be wielded to project their norms and ideas and achieve their set goals. Focusing on the African Union (AU), this article examines the salience of soft power in the context of regional organizations. It seeks to determine if AU values such as human rights, democracy, a…
Agenda 2063 and Its Implications for Africa’s Soft Power
Africa has struggled to counteract the negative images (ranging from diseases to war, terrorism, poverty, and crime) that it evokes in the eyes of the global audience. This has punctured Africa’s soft power potential and undermined its influence in the global arena, creating the need for the development of a strong and acceptable normative and strategic framework. In this regard, Agenda 2063’s strong commitment to the African Renaissance and a di…
Sport, Politics, and Diplomacy
This article investigates the wider implications of the Commonwealth Games Federation’s decision to withdraw the invitation to South Africa’s potential host city, Durban to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games. A host city has the unique opportunity to communicate with extensive global, regional and national networks through the intersection of sport, politics and diplomacy. The advantages derived from these events are not restricted to a diplomatic …
Is Nigeria a soft power state
The increasing relevance given to soft power by Western and Chinese academics and more importantly their public officials has prompted some African scholars to examine the utility of soft power in the African context. Whilst the literature on South African foreign policy and regional powerhood has paid attention to this issue in recent years, there are few studies on Nigeria’s soft power. Against this backdrop, this article examines whether or no…
Boko Haram Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism
Given terrorists' use of violence in pursuit of their objectives and violent counter-terrorism measures, terrorism is not often associated with soft power. Nevertheless, terrorist organisations subscribe to ideologies that are appealing to certain individuals and/or segments within their immediate environment and beyond. Similarly, counter-terrorism initiatives that embrace the utility of soft power might be more successful than those that rely o…
Currencies, Constraints and Contradictions of South Africa's Soft Power
Despite increasing interest in South Africa's soft power in recent years, little analysis is offered on the factors that hinder the projection of such soft power. Most studies have focused on the sources and the optimization of South Africa's soft power. While this article gives a synoptic account of these sources, it offers a different perspective by engaging the constraints and contradictions that hinder and circumscribe its soft power projecti…
South Africa in BRICS
BRICS was ostensibly established to counter the global dominance of the US. With the waning of military power and increasing reluctance to engage in hard balancing in the international system, some scholars observe that the BRICS countries are harnessing their non-military power to challenge US global hegemony through soft balancing. South Africa's membership of BRICS has generated heated debate with many considering the African powerhouse as a m…
Understanding Xenophobia in South Africa
The 2015 xenophobic attacks are a fresh reminder of anti-immigrant sentiments in South Africa. Since the 2008 xenophobic violence in the country, there has been a growing literature on xenophobia in South Africa. This article contributes to the existing discourse by employing levels of analysis as its analytical framework to analyse the recurrent anti-immigrant attitudes and attacks in South Africa. It concludes that xenophobia is indeed pervasiv…
Wielding soft power in strategic regions
While there is a rich body of scholarly literature on China’s soft power, it has tended to focus on how China’s soft power currencies complement its hard-power resources. Little is known about how China wields its soft power currencies in strategic regions, as the literature has focused on a particular region, particularly Asia and Africa. Thus, this study examines China’s geopolitical influence, drawing attention to its soft power currencies in …
Africom
The United States (US) Africa Command (AFRICOM) was launched in 2007, ostensibly to foster African security. Rather than focusing on traditional military operations, AFRICOM also embraces non-military activities such as humanitarian aid and African development. This begs the question as to what type of power (hard or soft) the US intends to wield through AFRICOM. Several US official statements have emphasised the soft power attributes of this mil…
A declining or stable image? An assessment of the United States' soft power in Africa
While the concept of soft power was coined by US scholar Joseph Nye in the early 1990s, the scholarly analysis of the US soft power in Africa remains scarce. This article seeks to engage with the question of soft power arising from US policies, political values and cultural exports in Africa. It employs both primary and secondary data, and focuses on the soft power impact of AGOA and PEPFAR on African perspectives on the US, as well as the impact…
Boko Haram Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism
Given terrorists' use of violence in pursuit of their objectives and violent counter-terrorism measures, terrorism is not often associated with soft power. Nevertheless, terrorist organisations subscribe to ideologies that are appealing to certain individuals and/or segments within their immediate environment and beyond. Similarly, counter-terrorism initiatives that embrace the utility of soft power might be more successful than those that rely o…
South Africa in BRICS
BRICS was ostensibly established to counter the global dominance of the US. With the waning of military power and increasing reluctance to engage in hard balancing in the international system, some scholars observe that the BRICS countries are harnessing their non-military power to challenge US global hegemony through soft balancing. South Africa's membership of BRICS has generated heated debate with many considering the African powerhouse as a m…
Currencies, Constraints and Contradictions of South Africa's Soft Power
Despite increasing interest in South Africa's soft power in recent years, little analysis is offered on the factors that hinder the projection of such soft power. Most studies have focused on the sources and the optimization of South Africa's soft power. While this article gives a synoptic account of these sources, it offers a different perspective by engaging the constraints and contradictions that hinder and circumscribe its soft power projecti…
A declining or stable image? An assessment of the United States' soft power in Africa
While the concept of soft power was coined by US scholar Joseph Nye in the early 1990s, the scholarly analysis of the US soft power in Africa remains scarce. This article seeks to engage with the question of soft power arising from US policies, political values and cultural exports in Africa. It employs both primary and secondary data, and focuses on the soft power impact of AGOA and PEPFAR on African perspectives on the US, as well as the impact…
Cameroon’s Anglophone crisis and the question of the right to self-determination
Is Southern Cameroons entitled to self-determination under international law? This article examines that critical question against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in Southern Cameroons and the people’s quest for self-determination. While varied factors cause conflict, it has customarily been attributed to poor governance, non-compliance with the rule of law, injustice, inequality, abuse of minority rights, marginalisation, and colonially ind…
Soft power individuals in Nigeria and South Africa
Despite the increasing influence of non-state actors in international affairs, soft power analysis in Africa and globally remains state-centric. By extension, assessment of individuals’ soft power is undeveloped. This article examines the extent to which, if at all, Olusegun Obasanjo and Thabo Mbeki wielded soft power in the international arena both during and after their presidencies. It examines their idiosyncratic traits and varied ideas and p…
Is Nigeria a soft power state
The increasing relevance given to soft power by Western and Chinese academics and more importantly their public officials has prompted some African scholars to examine the utility of soft power in the African context. Whilst the literature on South African foreign policy and regional powerhood has paid attention to this issue in recent years, there are few studies on Nigeria’s soft power. Against this backdrop, this article examines whether or no…
Agenda 2063 and Its Implications for Africa’s Soft Power
Africa has struggled to counteract the negative images (ranging from diseases to war, terrorism, poverty, and crime) that it evokes in the eyes of the global audience. This has punctured Africa’s soft power potential and undermined its influence in the global arena, creating the need for the development of a strong and acceptable normative and strategic framework. In this regard, Agenda 2063’s strong commitment to the African Renaissance and a di…
Sport, Politics, and Diplomacy
This article investigates the wider implications of the Commonwealth Games Federation’s decision to withdraw the invitation to South Africa’s potential host city, Durban to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games. A host city has the unique opportunity to communicate with extensive global, regional and national networks through the intersection of sport, politics and diplomacy. The advantages derived from these events are not restricted to a diplomatic …
Africom
The United States (US) Africa Command (AFRICOM) was launched in 2007, ostensibly to foster African security. Rather than focusing on traditional military operations, AFRICOM also embraces non-military activities such as humanitarian aid and African development. This begs the question as to what type of power (hard or soft) the US intends to wield through AFRICOM. Several US official statements have emphasised the soft power attributes of this mil…
Understanding Xenophobia in South Africa
The 2015 xenophobic attacks are a fresh reminder of anti-immigrant sentiments in South Africa. Since the 2008 xenophobic violence in the country, there has been a growing literature on xenophobia in South Africa. This article contributes to the existing discourse by employing levels of analysis as its analytical framework to analyse the recurrent anti-immigrant attitudes and attacks in South Africa. It concludes that xenophobia is indeed pervasiv…
Wielding soft power in strategic regions
While there is a rich body of scholarly literature on China’s soft power, it has tended to focus on how China’s soft power currencies complement its hard-power resources. Little is known about how China wields its soft power currencies in strategic regions, as the literature has focused on a particular region, particularly Asia and Africa. Thus, this study examines China’s geopolitical influence, drawing attention to its soft power currencies in …
Africom
The United States (US) Africa Command (AFRICOM) was launched in 2007, ostensibly to foster African security. Rather than focusing on traditional military operations, AFRICOM also embraces non-military activities such as humanitarian aid and African development. This begs the question as to what type of power (hard or soft) the US intends to wield through AFRICOM. Several US official statements have emphasised the soft power attributes of this mil…
A declining or stable image? An assessment of the United States' soft power in Africa
While the concept of soft power was coined by US scholar Joseph Nye in the early 1990s, the scholarly analysis of the US soft power in Africa remains scarce. This article seeks to engage with the question of soft power arising from US policies, political values and cultural exports in Africa. It employs both primary and secondary data, and focuses on the soft power impact of AGOA and PEPFAR on African perspectives on the US, as well as the impact…
South Africa in BRICS
BRICS was ostensibly established to counter the global dominance of the US. With the waning of military power and increasing reluctance to engage in hard balancing in the international system, some scholars observe that the BRICS countries are harnessing their non-military power to challenge US global hegemony through soft balancing. South Africa's membership of BRICS has generated heated debate with many considering the African powerhouse as a m…
The African Union’s Soft Power
Soft power is almost exclusively associated with states. International organizations, however, given their multilateral character, possess meaningful power of attraction that could be wielded to project their norms and ideas and achieve their set goals. Focusing on the African Union (AU), this article examines the salience of soft power in the context of regional organizations. It seeks to determine if AU values such as human rights, democracy, a…
Agenda 2063 and Its Implications for Africa’s Soft Power
Africa has struggled to counteract the negative images (ranging from diseases to war, terrorism, poverty, and crime) that it evokes in the eyes of the global audience. This has punctured Africa’s soft power potential and undermined its influence in the global arena, creating the need for the development of a strong and acceptable normative and strategic framework. In this regard, Agenda 2063’s strong commitment to the African Renaissance and a di…
Sport, Politics, and Diplomacy
This article investigates the wider implications of the Commonwealth Games Federation’s decision to withdraw the invitation to South Africa’s potential host city, Durban to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games. A host city has the unique opportunity to communicate with extensive global, regional and national networks through the intersection of sport, politics and diplomacy. The advantages derived from these events are not restricted to a diplomatic …
Is Nigeria a soft power state
The increasing relevance given to soft power by Western and Chinese academics and more importantly their public officials has prompted some African scholars to examine the utility of soft power in the African context. Whilst the literature on South African foreign policy and regional powerhood has paid attention to this issue in recent years, there are few studies on Nigeria’s soft power. Against this backdrop, this article examines whether or no…
Boko Haram Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism
Given terrorists' use of violence in pursuit of their objectives and violent counter-terrorism measures, terrorism is not often associated with soft power. Nevertheless, terrorist organisations subscribe to ideologies that are appealing to certain individuals and/or segments within their immediate environment and beyond. Similarly, counter-terrorism initiatives that embrace the utility of soft power might be more successful than those that rely o…
Currencies, Constraints and Contradictions of South Africa's Soft Power
Despite increasing interest in South Africa's soft power in recent years, little analysis is offered on the factors that hinder the projection of such soft power. Most studies have focused on the sources and the optimization of South Africa's soft power. While this article gives a synoptic account of these sources, it offers a different perspective by engaging the constraints and contradictions that hinder and circumscribe its soft power projecti…
Soft power individuals in Nigeria and South Africa
Despite the increasing influence of non-state actors in international affairs, soft power analysis in Africa and globally remains state-centric. By extension, assessment of individuals’ soft power is undeveloped. This article examines the extent to which, if at all, Olusegun Obasanjo and Thabo Mbeki wielded soft power in the international arena both during and after their presidencies. It examines their idiosyncratic traits and varied ideas and p…
A Sleeping Giant?
Africa’s Soft Power
"This book investigates the ways in which soft power is used by African countries to help drive global influence. Selecting four of the countries most associated with soft power across the continent, this book delves into the currencies of soft power across the region: from South Africa's progressive constitution and expanding multinational corporations, to Nigeria's Nollywood film industry, Kenya's fashion, sport diplomacy, and tourism industrie…
Nigeria’s Space Programme and Counter-Terrorism
The political economy of soft power
In recent times, the concept of soft power has emerged as one of the most important terms in international relations. It has been applied to various aspects of statecraft from democracy promotion to peace-making, cultural diplomacy, economic diplomacy, counter-terrorism and disaster management, to name but a few. However, there is a dearth of literature on the political economy of soft power. Given that economic interests substantially drive stat…
Cameroon’s Anglophone crisis and the question of the right to self-determination
Is Southern Cameroons entitled to self-determination under international law? This article examines that critical question against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in Southern Cameroons and the people’s quest for self-determination. While varied factors cause conflict, it has customarily been attributed to poor governance, non-compliance with the rule of law, injustice, inequality, abuse of minority rights, marginalisation, and colonially ind…
Nigeria's Democracy Promotion in Africa
Democracy promotion is undoubtedly one of Nigeria's most important foreign policy objectives in Africa. Indeed, it has featured in the state's foreign policy across successive administrations including military and civilian regimes. A fundamental question explored by this article is the dimension of power Nigeria deploys in its foreign policy objective of democracy promotion in Africa. Is it hard or soft, or a combination of the two (smart power)…
The diaspora’s soft power in an age of global anti-Nigerian sentiment
The global anti-Nigerian sentiment that has engendered the state’s image crisis cannot be denied. This has circumscribed Abuja’s capacity to effectively wield its soft power in Africa and beyond. While successive Nigerian governments have striven to improve the country’s battered image through various initiatives, the state’s image remains negative. There can be no doubt that the diaspora contributes to this image crisis through the activities of…
The creative sector and soft power
While the literature is replete with the soft power potential of Nollywood and Afrobeats, no comprehensive analysis has been undertaken on the power of attraction of the Nigerian fashion industry. Given that the latter is one of the most critical industries in the Nigerian creative sector, an analysis of the soft power of the creatives is arguably incomplete without an account of the actual and potential soft power of the country’s fashion indust…
Parallel struggles and divergent paths
Nigeria’s soft power and cultural diplomacy
Political science (19 works) · Law (18 works) · Politics (17 works) · Economics (16 works) · Soft power (15 works) · Law (14 works) · Sociology (13 works) · Development economics (11 works) · Power (physics (11 works) · Hard power (10 works)