Why Nigeria must pursue diplomacy to safeguard national sovereignty, by Tuggar
IN an increasingly multi-polar and complex international system, Nigeria must pursue a diplomatic posture that safeguards sovereignty while advancing national interests and expanding global partnerships, the Minister of Foreign Affairs,
- By Bola Olajuwon, Assistant Editor and Faruq Durosinmi
IN an increasingly multi-polar and complex international system, Nigeria must pursue a diplomatic posture that safeguards sovereignty while advancing national interests and expanding global partnerships, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, has argued.
Tuggar spoke virtually during the public presentation of a book, titled: "Strategic Autonomy As A Foreign Policy Grand Strategy For Nigeria: The Doctrine of 4-Ds As Definienda," written by Prof. Bola Akinterinwa, a former Director General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) and President/Director General, Bolytag Centre for International Diplomacy and Strategic Studies (BOCIDASS).
The event was organised by BOCIDASS, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Victoria Island, Lagos yesterday.
Tuggar said that "it is both encouraging and gratifying to see Nigeria's foreign policy strategies and realities subjected to forceful scrutiny and serious intellectual engagement, because this is what has been missing for quite some time."
The minister noted that the book "not only deepens the citizens' understanding of this strategic concept, but also enriches the growing body of knowledge on Nigeria's foreign policy and its evolving place in the international system."
Tuggar said that Nigeria's foreign policy has long been shaped by the job-breaking population and historic responsibility within Africa.
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"Within this context, strategic autonomy has emerged as a guiding approach allowing Nigeria to maintain its independent government while engaging constructively with partners across regions.
"This strategy enables Nigeria to navigate global power dynamics without being constrained by rigid geopolitical alignments," he said.
The intellectual framework supporting the approach, the minister said, are the four Ds: democracy, development, demography, and diaspora.
Tuggar said democracy "reflects Nigeria's commitment to constitutional governance and strengthens its credibility as Africa's largest democracy." Development, he noted, "underscores the importance of economic diplomacy, using foreign policy to attract investments, expand trade, and support national growth."
To the minister, "Demography recognises Nigeria's large and youthful population as a strategic advantage that can drive innovation, labour mobility, and global competitiveness through international partnerships."
The fourth pillar, diaspora, he noted, "highlights the growing role of Nigerians abroad as partners in national progress through remittances, investments, and cultural diplomacy.
"Together, these four pillars provide a coherence that advances Nigeria's pursuit of strategic autonomy while expanding its global influence."
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"In a world of shifting alliances and emerging power centers, this framework allows Nigeria to cooperate widely while protecting its sovereign interests," he added.
Lauding the organisers for convening the event, Tuggar noted that platforms such as these are, therefore, vital in strengthening the ideas and strategic thinking that must guide Nigeria's future policies and global engagement.
Chairman, Governing Council, NIIA, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, said that the event marked the introduction of the intellectual encapsulation of the ideas that have formed the foreign policy of Nigeria and the present moment.
He commended Prof. Akinterinwa for writing a book that Nigerians need for the intellectualisation of the nation's foreign policy.
To Prof. Akinterinwa, Nigeria can always be a better country "if we have "leaders, ministers, that can think," while expressing the view that"Nigeria does not have any foreign policy objective."
He said that the doctrine of four Ds, when conceived, can conveniently be a good foundation for a new foreign policy objective.
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Prof. Akinterinwa said that he mobilised scholars with the most cautious minds from different disciplines to get the book ready.
Saying that they were already working towards ensuring that Nigeria reaches the level of self-reliance, he noted: "Strategic autonomy is nothing more than self-reliance. We are looking at how we can attain the level of self-reliance at the nuclear family level, community level, state level, national level and so on, in this globalizing world. We need to control this terrorizing the whole world."
Calling on Nigerians to really prepare for anti-terror measures, Prof Akinterinwa added: "I believe that international politicians have a responsibility to get the ideas of the times and to work it out."
Director General, NIIA, Prof. Eghosa Osaghae, while reviewing the book, said: "The first is, when I saw the book, I was reminded of the difference, if at all, between an encyclopedia and a book. I was wondering what was going through the publisher's mind in calling this a book. You probably have had three or four volumes from this one book, never mind that there are eight sections in the book, meaning that every one section could easily become a book and would have had a book of eight volumes.
"It's something that is in use in the field of international relations and diplomacy. You find it everywhere. Everyone talks about strategic autonomy."
While also commending Prof. Akinterinwa, the NIIA DG stated: "But I think what really got into my heart was the NIIA quota of the book. You know, everyone is happy to read about international relations and foreign policy from the prism, the lenses of the NIIA. So I congratulate you for putting this together."
