By Kennedy Sheyin
The Federal Government says Nigeria’s foreign policy is being recalibrated to directly support national defence and security.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Sola Enikanolaiye, said this in Abuja, at the launch of the book “Shadows of Power” written by retired Rear Adm. Sola Oluwagbare.
Enikanolaiye said that the present administration had reworked the doctrine around the idea that diplomacy must produce tangible gains for citizens, especially in security, defence and economic resilience.
He declared that the policy, encapsulated in President Bola Tinubu’s foreign policy 4 Ds, must serve the national interest.
According to him, the first priority is demography; the Nigerian people, followed by development, democracy and diaspora.
“The government’s view is that Nigeria’s foreign policy exertions must bring benefits directly to Nigerians. Security and defence cannot be separated from foreign policy.”
The minister noted that Nigeria’s immediate neighbourhood would now receive greater attention because instability in surrounding countries could quickly threaten Nigeria’s own security.
According to him, the emerging trend is placing Nigerians, border stability and strategic interests at the center of external engagement.
He highlighted the Sahara and the country’s contiguous neighbours as key areas where instability could spill across borders and imperil national safety.
“Our neighbors, security and prosperity as well as development are intrinsically linked to those of our neighbors
“If they are not secure, it has instability; and our security is imperiled,” he said.
Enikanolaiye also said that Nigeria must be secure and stable at home before it could play a strong activist role in Africa or globally.
He added that Tinubu’s reforms to security strategy was intended to make the “home strong” so Nigeria could project influence abroad.
“You cannot have a dynamic and activist foreign policy if the home is weak,” he said.
The minister said Nigeria was pursuing “strategic autonomy” which he defined as alignment with national interest, rather than fixed blocs.
He also said that Nigeria had not abandoned old partners such as Russia, China, Turkey, Brazil and Saudi Arabia.
According to him, the nation is also deepening ties with the United States and other countries that will help address the current domestic security challenges.
“The truth of the matter is that no aspect of Nigerian domestic policy can succeed unless you identify the external components of those policies and pursue them equally.
“That is the nexus between the domestic and the external.
“Our job as diplomats and military officers in diplomacy is to see how we strike a balance in addressing these two asides of the same policy and respond to events, not just as they occur domestically, but how they also unfold globally.”
Enikanolaiye also revealed some reforms ongoing in the ministry including better record management, mandatory training, exam-based promotion, and more merit-driven postings.
He said that strengthening the ministry’s institutions was necessary for a foreign policy that could better serve national defence and security goals.
Speaking after the event, the author, Rear Adm. Sola Oluwagbire said his book aimed to interrogate how Nigeria’s relationship with the world powers had influenced the country’s national security.
Oluwagbire said his book was not the total answer, but a step in the right direction for Nigeria towards matching the way world powers fight insecurities.
“It is a step in the right direction. It is going to be block upon block, line upon line, and all of us are going to contribute our part to it.
“This book has started that thought towards national consciousness and informed discussions.
“All nations have their interests at heart, and Nigeria also has the power to not only become a regional authority, but an influencer of activities on the world stage. We can do it,” he said. (NAN)
Edited by Deborah Coker