Nigeria’s Foreign Policy : Council to submit report to presidency

Nigeria’s Foreign Policy : Council to submit report to presidency
Ngozi John-Anigbogu, Abuja.

The Presidential Advisory Council on International Relations is to submit the report of the experts who reviewed Nigeria’s Foreign Policy thrust since independence to President Goodluck Jonathan.

The Chairman of the Council and former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Mr Emeka Anyaoku made this known in Abuja at the end of the four day Seminar organised by the Advisory Council in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The foreign policy review by Nigerian diplomats and policy experts, which included past and serving Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Nigeria’s representatives to international organisations, was necessitated by the changes around the world.

In an eight point communiqué delivered by Mr Ayaoku at the end of the review, the experts  advised that Nigeria should respond effectively to the new realties in Africa and the rest of the world stressing that Nigeria’s new foreign policy thrust should focus on activities that would promote the nation’s economic growth and development.

Emerging markets

According to the communiqué, “the Seminar recognized that 50 years ago when Nigeria became independent, the priority challenges in Africa were the quest for African unity, campaign for decolonisation and the removal of the obnoxious policy of apartheid in South Africa. The fundamentals of Nigeria’s Foreign Policy in relations to Africa were determined by these key challenges.”

It was unanimously agreed by the diplomats and the policy experts that after fifty years, Nigeria’s Foreign policy document bequeathed to it at independence in 1960 had outlived some of its objectives and needed to be reviewed in order to position the country to meet the new and emerging global changes.

“Decolonisation of Africa has been completed and South Africa has transited from apartheid to democratic rule. In the rest of the world, the Cold War has ended, bringing in its wake, the end of bi-polarity and emergence of new centres of power especially new emerging markets in Africa, Asia and Latin America,’’it pointed out.

The communiqué also stated that the new policy document should focus on how Nigeria can enhance the mutuality of interests from foreign policy initiatives in Africa and the rest of the world while strengthening its role in international organisations.

Nigeria’s national interest

It stressed the need to enhance the capacity of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to enable it to execute Nigeria’s Foreign Policy more effectively and efficiently.

Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Olugbenga Ashiru had at the opening of the Seminar, said the new Foreign Policy should also seek a change in the manner Nigeria administered her aid and technical assistance.

’’ The new focus is a clear indication that we cannot continue in the usual way in which we deliver our aid and assistance without some expectations of reciprocal cooperation in return. Nigeria’s aid and technical assistance programmes will henceforth be managed in a manner that enhances Nigeria’s national interest,’’Ashiru noted.

The details of the recommendations of the experts on the new foreign policy were not made available, as the Presidential Advisory Council on International Relations is yet to submit the report to the President.

Iheanacho