The Changing Nature of Nigeria‟s Foreign Policy: Whose Interest?

This study evaluated the principles of Nigeria's foreign policy since 1960. These principles include: Non-alignment; Equality of all States; Non-interference in the domestic affairs of other states, Multilateralism and Afrocentrism. The methodology of the study was based on secondary sources of data collection. Data obtained from textbooks, journals, articles, news papers and other online materials were analyzed by descriptive method, while the theory of Manifest Destiny was adopted. The findings showed that while these principles have helped in shaping Nigeria's relations with the outside world over the years, there are inconsistencies in their application; additionally some of them do not reflect the trend and current realities locally and internationally. For instance, Nigeria professed non-alignment during the cold war era but was committed to the Western led bloc with respect to issues in Africa and beyond. Also the principle of afrocentrism has been adopted to the detriment www.ichekejournal.com Nigeria Foreign Policy Principles since 1960 2 of her very own citizens. Till date, Nigeria has continued to bear the burdens of Africa without commensurate rewards whereas the majority of her citizens experience, on a daily basis, poverty, diseases, hunger, starvations and deaths. In view of this, the study recommends a holistic review of Nigeria's foreign policy principles to be in line with the current realities at the domestic and international levels. In addition attention should be given to those areas of foreign engagements that will boost the economic fortune of the country; instead of focusing on Africa, Nigeria should place more emphasis on the welfare of its citizens as it is often said, "Charity begins at home".

2013

Since becoming a sovereign nation in 1960, the nation called Nigeria had engaged herself with the world on a weak foreign policy that had saw the nation part away with a huge chuck of her human and economic resources without having something tangible to show for her huge diplomatic generosity. This has become worrisome to scholars, and stakeholders within the nation-space. To some, Nigeria only operates a father xmas style of foreign policy which had someway contributed to the economic misery of the nation. In light of the above, the article set-out to investigate certain issues in Nigeria foreign policy statement. To this end, the paper focuses on issues such as national interest which drives the nation’s foreign policy coupled with the continuities as well as the flaws associated with Nigeria policy of external relations since attainment of independence. The paper argues that Nigeria should embark on a reform of her foreign policy as a matter of urgency as what obtains presently c...

Diplomacy is generally equated with the business of handling a porcupine without disturbing the quills. All war represents a failure of diplomacy. Foreign policy, like diplomacy, is a disguised war, in which states and non-state actors seek to gain by barter, diplomacy and intrigues, by the cleverness of arts, the objectives which they would have to gain more clumsily by means of war. In the advanced democracies, diplomacy is used as a handmaiden of foreign policy. Thus while foreign policy of a state is said to be the substance of foreign relations, diplomacy is the process by which foreign policy is carried out. Nation-states and even continents of the world do not exist in complete isolation from each other. The nation-states which are the main units of continents have to carry on some of their activities in the world environment. Thus they do not only come into contact with each other on their continent, but they also interact with nation-states in other continents. This worldwide interaction takes place in what is called international system. For this interaction to be realized, states are the key actors in this worldwide relation. There is the need for nation-states to conduct their policies diplomatically in order to avoid conflict and absorb those other actors provided they do not jeopardize their own interest. This idea of live and let’s live which involves the formulation, marketing and pursuit of policies by states in the international arena brings about foreign policy. Generally, therefore, the concept of foreign policy suggests the right of a particular sovereign nation-state to deal and conduct foreign affairs relations with foreign powers. And usually, the actions a country takes in its relationship with other countries in the international system are motivated and moderated by certain compelling variables which are inextricably linked and inevitably influenced by the domestic situation. This paper therefore examines Nigeria’s Afro-centric Policy as a major determinant of Nigerian foreign policy with a view to refocusing our foreign policy thrust, and attaching more premiums to our sense of national interest and pride which must necessarily anchor towards socio-economic development of the nation and the upliftment of the citizen’s standard of living.

We are in a world where states although independent but are interdependent as no state is an isolate, moreso, where no state could provide all her needs, yearnings and aspirations for her teeming population. The idea of foreign policy dates back to antiquity. The state is seen as the major actor in international politics and therefore all the relations of its people, agencies and institutions are reflections of its policy. However, it is interesting to note that people "s natural desire or impulse to travel, trade, do business and maintain religious links are made possible by the state but are sometimes independent of its policy hence sometimes policies are reframmed in line with these impulses. The writer looked at Nigerian foreign policy retrospectively taken into account the national interest based on the socio-political and economic environments at the time under consideration. The author found out that there is always no permanent enemy or friend, rather permanent interest, successive government reframmed our foreign policies accordingly. The researcher observed that foreign policy without crystal clear objectives informed by well defined national interest affects, contradicts and weakens the implementation of our foreign policy option at the time under reference. The author concluded that for our foreign policy to stand the test of time, it must be comprehensively considered in the light of our national interest taking into account the principles and determinants in the light of legal equality of states. This paper relied on secondary sources of materials, global, and national occurrence of events at the time.

This paper examined Nigeria's foreign policy engagements with a view to determining the relative extent her national interest is the key driver. It interrogated therefore, Nigeria's actions and reactions on the global stage in pursuit of her national interest. Identifying security and prosperity as the most enduring elements of national interest, it noted that Nigeria's engagements in the global community and her numerous sacrifices failed to maximise her security and prosperity. Accordingly, as Nigeria journeys through the second half of the century of her existence as an independent nation, the paper called for re-inventing foreign policy through decision making that maximises her interest with recommendations on how best to achieve that goal in a globalising world. Stating the Problem Understood as those strategies with which institutionally designated decision makers seek to manipulate the international environment in order to achieve certain national objectives (Chibundu, 2009) foreign policy shapes the behavioural pattern of the states while dealing with each other. Its ultimate objective is the protection and furtherance of the nations' vital interests, defined in terms of national interest. A theory of foreign policy in this regard is a theory of why states have particular interest or goals in their relations and why particular states make, or should make, from normative perspective, particular foreign policy at a particular time. Without theorising on Nigeria's foreign policy, we simply note that from 1954 when Nigeria began throttling into the complex field of foreign policy and formally beginning in 1960 as an independent nation, formulating and implementing such basic ideas encompassing principles and strategies that would shape her behavioural pattern for the attainment of her specific national interest has remained a daunting task. More than formulation, the greater challenge has been with implementation. Thus the desired outcome of the nation's foreign policy consequent upon decisions adopted, have hardly secured her national advantages. It is within the spectrum of national advantages that we discuss Nigeria's foreign policy and national interest here. National interest may be as old as the State and its formulation a key element in the setting of goals of foreign policy, yet the concept remains nebulous. However eventually it may be defined, at its foundation will be firstly something of substance and weighty in the life of nations as they

EBSU Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2024

Nigeria got independence and qualified to conduct foreign policy as a sovereign state in 1960. At independence, Nigeria chose Africa as the centrepiece of her foreign policy. For about 50 years of Nigeria's existence, Africa was meticulously observed as the centrepiece of her foreign policy. Against international relations principles, this choice of Nigeria's foreign policy is an aberration in international relations. The focus of every state's foreign policy is the interest and welfare of the state which is the centrepiece of each state's foreign policy before the consideration of general or long-term interests-where supposedly, Africa falls within the realm of Nigeria's national interest. From the standpoint of the realist school of thought, this research investigates if, Africa as the centrepiece of Nigeria's foreign policy is in line with the known principles and practices of international relations. The study adopts secondary source of data collection while content analysis was deployed to distil the data collected. The findings of the research were that, given the existing circumstances in the international system as at 1960 when Nigeria gained independence vis-à-vis the bipolar nature of the system, Africa as the centrepiece of Nigeria's foreign policy was adopted based on the leaders' limited knowledge of the principles guiding international relations. Also, the research found out that the concept still looms large in Nigeria's foreign policy vocabularies although the practice is no longer as it were during the Cold War and during Apartheid Policies in Southern Africa. It concludes that Africa is not supposed to be the centrepiece of Nigeria's foreign policy because states' central focus in international relations is their safety and the interest of her citizens as a priority before considering sub-regional, regional, or global concerns. Consequently, it is a misnomer for Africa to be the centrepiece, epic, or priority of Nigeria's foreign policy.

2019

This paper discusses the Nigerian foreign policy in the West African sub-region and the attendant challenges. It focuses on the nature of this policy which is basically Afrocentric. The paper as a result dwelt on the idealism of the policy itself as some scholars posit in terms of the relations between Nigeria and these countries in the sub-region. The paper adopts the descriptive research from library instruments and findings show that, issues involved are quite pervasive and problematic to the effective projection of the country's foreign policy in the sub-region. The examination of these issues, some of which are traceable to the country's domestic economic and political setting have become pertinent in order to reduce the seeming misunderstanding and mistrust of Nigeria's noble and progressive gesture towards her fellow African neighbors. The paper concludes that Nigerian foreign policy even in the West African Sub-region has been influenced by its African focus. This scenario inevitably conferred on the country, the status of a sub-regional leader in all ramifications. The paper recommends that the Nigerian authorities must regard and treat its West Africa neighbour as strategic. This has become important as it can be harnessed as a verifiable market for the country's goods and services to the reduction of outside rivals.

This paper expresses the continuity and discontinuities in the Nigerian foreign policy from 1960. After a peaceful transition from colonial rule, Nigeria evolved into an independent state that controlled her own affairs both domestically and internationally. In order to relate with the outside she developed a set of principles and objectives to guide such official relations. However, it has not been always smooth, as the Nigerian foreign policy experienced some ups and downs. This paper analysis the extent to which the different eras of her foreign policy was successful and unsuccessful

Jalingo Historical Review Vol. 6 No. 1&2, 2020

It is national interest that sovereign states seek to pursue/achieve in the international system, through their foreign policy framework. In this regard, foreign policy should be an embodiment of a state national interest which should, in the final analysis promote the wellbeing of its citizenry. Nigeria became an independent country in 1960, and in 1963, she took on a status of a republic with full power to chart an independent foreign policy. In recognition of this status, successive administrations, both in principles and in practice, contemplated varieties of foreign policy options for Nigeria with different degrees of consequences. To what extent have these foreign policy options by the various regimes taken into cognizance the issue of Nigerian citizenry? It is in the light of the above question that this paper attempts to examine the nature and character of the foreign policy options taken by the various regimes, since 1960. The paper adopts a multidisciplinary research method and the use of system theory in its analysis. It became obvious that the Nigerian foreign policy is more externally propel and motivated than internally. As such, due regards has not been given to the Nigerian citizen in terms of foreign policy outing.