Of late, some armchair critics took a swipe at the orientations of Nigeria’s foreign policy vis-à-vis its effects on Nigeria’s immediate neighbours in West Africa, the seeming cosying up to some European countries and unjustified claims of the transactional posture of Nigeria’s deservedly decorous global partnership. The unconstructive criticism is, to say the least, ill-informed and unconscionable, as it is nuanced by a total disregard for the sovereignty of Nigeria, its rational decision and the evolutionary membership phase of global institutions.
The inference of Nigeria’s diminishing stature on account of obtaining partner status in BRICS is rather otiose because joining the bloc like any other intergovernmental body is steeped in processes that must be fulfilled before the attainment of full membership. Among these processes are expression of interest, followed by preliminary discussions and then formal application by the interested country, which would be reviewed and assessed by members before a decision is made. It is normative for prospective members to fulfil these requirements before accession. Nigeria’s observer status is a product of the initial agreement between Nigeria and the bloc before its Kazan summit in October 2024. The unwarranted opprobrium has failed to fathom that BRICS’ partnership status or its full membership is at the discretion of the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Apparently, such unfavourable comments on Nigeria’s role concerning members that joined the group in January 2024 are nothing more than an apples-to-oranges comparison that lacks merits because they have ignored specific context, baselines, consistent evaluating criteria and appropriate selection data in their analogy. In this circumstance, the conclusion is definitely misleading based on flawed and biased assumptions. The critics, in their haste to vilify Nigeria, were inconsiderate of the alliance’s desire for expansion, and as such, a country with an eminent position in its subregion like Nigeria would be welcomed into its fold.
In the current global scheme of interdependence and alliances, no country is unimportant, no matter its size or resources, let alone the biggest black nation of the world. Every country is unique with distinct characteristics that attract the attention of others for association. Nigeria, as a middle-income country with its strategic location, abundant natural resources, human capital and evolving democratic culture, does not only stand out for beneficial economic engagement with other BRICS members in a win-win cooperation, but it will certainly add value to the organisation with its natural endowment. To think otherwise is preposterous and a disingenuous way of deliberately hitting below the belt.
Had they done a thorough analysis of Nigeria’s position, the naysayers would have realised that a South American country struggling with internal crises declined full membership of BRICS based on its priorities of bilateralism and other considerations. The critics are unmindful that global partnership is a strand of Nigeria’s foreign policy vigorously pursued like any other in the interest of the country.
To say that there is a low perception of Nigeria by world leaders after several invitations to Mr President by the same world leaders is not only contradictory but a figment of the writer’s imagination. The hypothetical scenarios posed by the write-up leave much to be desired in all ramifications for lack of logical reasoning and evidence-based arguments. The salvo on Nigeria’s inability to gain full membership of BRICS is presumptive and does not correlate with Nigeria’s ambition to become a permanent member of the UNSC. On the contrary, Nigeria’s active bid through various high-level engagements with various states/organisations has been receiving support from many UN member states. It is, therefore, misleading to posit that membership of BRICS predetermines membership of UNSC.
In embracing multilateralism, within the confines of national interests, partnering with an emerging economic power bloc of BRICS has the following derivable benefits such as: diversified trade relations; access to emerging markets; funding from the new development bank; technology and knowledge sharing; oil and gas investments; renewable energy development; food security and currency swapping agreements, among others.
As already stated, Nigeria is a sovereign nation, whose strategic priorities and national interests dictate her interactions at the global stage. Undoubtedly, these give credence to the rationale behind President Tinubu’s recent successful visit to France. Nigeria has continued to maintain a neutral stance as a member of a non-aligned movement that promotes peaceful cooperation among nations without veering off to the whims and caprices of any power blocs.
Furthermore, accusing Nigeria of imposing stiff sanctions against the Niger Republic or other AES members is spurious. The collective decision is of ECOWAS based on its principles of political pluralism, free and fair elections and respect for human rights, which is backed by its protocol on democracy and good governance. The decision is also supported by the provisions of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance. The suspension of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from ECOWAS by the authority of heads of state and government of the organisation, is in good faith to save democracy in West Africa. President Tinubu, as the chair of the body, only conveyed that the difficult decision was reached in the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government’s meeting. It is, therefore, unreasonable to insinuate that Nigeria instigated the sanction on the three beleaguered nations as the Nigerian government, from the outset, held out an olive branch through envoys to the three countries as a demonstration of her abiding faith in diplomacy and negotiations. Although the gesture was rebuffed, Nigeria remains committed to the mechanisms of negotiations and diplomacy as the means of resolving disputes among states.
However, AES members are jittery about Nigeria’s deepening relations with France, as the writer’s thought is unfounded and could be the case of “guilty being afraid” because Nigeria’s wish, as always, is to maintain excellent relations with its neighbours and beyond.
Similarly, the nebulous attempt at digging into Nigeria’s civil-war past has only exposed the prejudiced mindset of the writers for failing to recognise that Nigeria has long ago buried the hatchet, mended fences in the spirit of reconciliation with even African countries that supported Biafra and has moved on, not as the writers are wont to impugn. Nigeria’s collaboration with France is pragmatic and issue-specific rather than rooted in dependency or neocolonial ties. Nigeria has cooperated with France on security matters in the Sahel and economic development. France’s efforts in counterinsurgency operations have complemented Nigeria’s regional efforts.
However, this cooperation should not and is never a threat to AES countries. It should be underscored that our foreign policy continues to emphasise regional leadership and African unity. As much as possible, Nigeria, while recognising the sovereignty and independence of AES members, will continue to maintain a neutral stance in the friction between them and France.
Nigeria, in spite of the criticisms, remains a significant player in Africa’s future due to its enviable position. Among the evidence of this assertion are the recent and separate successful visits of the Indian Prime Minister and the Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs to Nigeria, accompanied by large delegations from the two biggest founding members of BRICS in November 2024 and January 2025, respectively. Securing the BRICS partnership status alone is a full recognition of Nigeria’s strategic importance in the subregion and the rest of the world.
It is worthy to mention that Nigeria’s foreign policy has neither shifted nor altered from the aspirations of its founding fathers. Over the years, it has strengthened engagement with regional organisations like the ECOWAS and the African Union. This has fostered economic cooperation and beneficial interactions within the region.
Moreover, Nigeria has continued to collaborate with neighbouring countries to combat terrorism, particularly Boko Haram. Furthermore, Nigeria has played a key role in establishing regional security initiatives, such as the Multinational Joint Task Force to address security challenges in the Sahel region. Indeed, Nigeria has strengthened its relations with international key partners, including the United States, China and the European Union. This has led to increased diplomatic engagement, trade and investment.
In global governance, Nigeria is actively involved in international forums like the United Nations, the G20 and BRICS. This has enabled the country to shape global agendas and promote its national interests. The foreign policy thrust of Nigeria with a focus on economic diplomacy, security cooperation and international relations is making significant progress toward a steady right direction.
•Edward, a senior lecturer at the Department of Political Science, Federal University Otuoke, Bayelsa State, writes via [email protected]
