Fresh Agenda For Foreign Affairs Ministry

In The Face Of Insecurity
IN the last five years Nigeria has contributed significantly, chiefly through the activities of Boko Haram, to global insecurity. However, the country has been playing an equally significant role in peace support operations in different parts of the world since her first international peace operations in the Congo in the 1960s.

Nigeria has been one of the most applauded for her leadership role in the ECOWAS region, particularly with regard to ECOMOG operations in Liberia and Sierra Leone, which helped to stabilise the entire Mano River Union. In broad terms, both the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Police Force have participated in peace support operations in Africa and Europe and excelled in all those engagements to the admiration of some of the developed countries.

The insecurity that has confronted Nigeria in the past few years is symptomatic of the global crises linked to the rise of extremism in parts of the world. The lesson, which this has for other African countries is that no country is immune from the possible infiltration of extremists with different agenda. One of the implications of a nation being a member of the global community is the blurring of international boundaries between it and its neighbours. There is the impact of instantaneous messaging through the satellite media, particularly, the social media with all its attendant challenges of lack of professionalism and absence of regulation. The new minister of foreign affairs must build on the goodwill garnered by President Muhammadu Buhari’s shuttle diplomacy to Niger, Benin, Chad and Cameroun. Other African countries need to rally round Nigeria in its time of difficulty knowing that Nigeria has been the corner stone of the stability of the West Africa region and the African continent as a whole, through its involvement in peace support operations over the years.

Internal security of Nigeria remained sine qua non to the stability of the continent. To this extent, Nigeria has to carefully balance its own tense internal security challenges with its leadership role within ECOWAS and the continent.

Even as terrorism remains an international phenomenon, gravely threatening national, regional and international peace and stability, the incoming minister must be wary of the challenges poised by the issue of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.

In planning for continued effective implementation of Nigeria’s foreign policy, tackling the identified themes and challenges in the immediate and long term should be taken serious.

These include the need to sustain the unity, territorial integrity, peace and stability of Nigeria; engaging international partners and friends to tackling the menace of insecurity and other domestic challenges, including transnational crimes and proliferation of small arms and light weapons; terrorism and piracy, the preservation of Nigeria’s leadership role and visibility in Africa; promoting regional peace and security.

Engaging Nigerians In The Diaspora
THERE is a feeling among Nigerians in the international system pointing to the penchant of government to move in a particular direction and the citizens moving in another. Nigeria does not make maximum use of the opportunities offered by her nationals abroad. For example, there is a lot going on in terms of remittances from Nigerians abroad. If records of western union, money gram, and so on, are any yardsticks, Nigeria is one of the largest recipients of funds from people in Diaspora. Countries like India, Philippine, Mexico, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Somalia and Ghana, benefit massively from remittances from abroad. Philippine is believe to rely almost solely from such remittances.

The minister must not fall into the temptation of painting all Nigerians abroad with the same bad brush. Despite her huge population, Nigerians are hardly the dominant foreign nationals oversea.

There are Nigerians who are involved in various areas of specialisations in science and technology in NASA, in neurology, in cardiology.

Reparation Of Looted Money Stashed Abroad
DURING his visit as guest of the government of the United States of America, President Buhari reiterated the need for return of stolen funds – estimated to be in the region of 150 billion dollars. While it is in the absolute interest of Nigeria to have such money retuned to the country, mere request would not do. The world doesn’t just run on such ideals. Nigeria would have to confront with the reality –– is it also in the interest of the these countries where such monies are stashed to return them?

The process of repatriating the monies could also become so legalistic and too difficult, in which case the money is trapped to the continuous benefit of those countries. But with the appropriate collaboration and cooperation, patience, diplomatic appreciation and full time engagement, Nigeria should be able to persuade many of these countries to cooperate in recovering some of the funds taken away illegally.

On Nigerians On Death Rolls
EARLY this year, three Nigerians were among the eight nationals that were executed in Indonesia over drug trafficking. Eight others are set to face execution in that country over the same offence.
There might be little the minister can do as many countries have death penalty in their law books. When Nigerians violate such laws and they are punished, very little can be done. To convince an independent country to change its national laws or bend same one way or the other is usually not an easy one. But the government can do a bit more in terms of the protection and advocacy programmes for citizens abroad. Though, such options are largely limited to diplomacy and advocacy.

Nigeria As Regional Power House
BY sheer size of its economy and population, Nigeria is easily ECOWAS and ECOWAS is Nigeria. Nigeria contributes over 50 percent of ECOWAS’ revenue. She is also the host country of ECOWAS, entrusted with sense of responsibilities and commitments. Despite few hiccups, Nigeria has remained committed and faithful to the spirit and the letters of ECOWAS.

However, many believe that Nigeria must assert her influence the more. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo may be correct when he declared at the height of one of the many provocations by neighbours: “If a father starts telling his children, you must respect me. I am your father, that means something must be wrong somewhere.” Such a reminder, occasionally, may be out of place as relations between one country and the other is far more complex than the analogy Obasanjo drew.

This is one body that must be truly close to the Nigerian heart at all times. Looking at the intervention that ECOWAS has done in member states over the years, be it economic, political, security and so on, there is no doubt the body has made itself very relevant and will remain so. It is a platform that Nigeria must strongly promote and nurture with other members of the community. In the area of peace support operations and the fights against trans-national organised crimes, the sub-region has not only recorded commendable results, but has also developed models that have remained point of reference for other Regional Economic Cooperations (REC).

Furthermore, in the area of democracy and good governance, the sub-region has continued to demonstrate, in practical terms, its zero tolerance for undemocratic ascension to power and further assisted member states in ensuring that democracy and its processes are sustained.
In the area of conflict prevention, management and resolution, the commission has equally recorded great achievements. In fact, it has put in place functional mechanism in terms of legally binding protocols and institutional frameworks for understanding and addressing the ever-changing dynamics and trends of violent conflicts.

Nigeria needs to ensure deepening of some of the ECOWAS initiatives and institutional capabilities, including the protocol on the mechanism for conflict prevention, management, resolution, peace-keeping and security, the convention on small arms and light weapons, as well as, a conflict early warning and early response centre, among others.

These structures have been deployed, at various occasions, to help member states in tackling related challenges, and have equally been utilised for preventing events that would have jeopardised peace, security and stability of the sub-region in particular and the integration efforts in general.
Without doubt, if Nigeria, in collaboration with other member countries put together more cooperative and collaborative efforts, the sub-region will grow at an accelerated rate, which in turn would be multilaterally beneficial.

Through the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), Nigeria has contributed a lot towards ensuring peace in West Africa. This should be intensified. Apart from conducting independent studies that have been shared with a broad range of partners, the institute has been collaborating with other relevant agencies of ECOWAS to ensure that peace and security remain a priority in programming for development in West Africa. Research staff of the Institute have been involved in different joint missions with ECOWAS, aimed at promoting peace and strengthening political participation by different stakeholders. One of the strong areas of IPCR collaboration is the development of a regional early warning and early response mechanism into which all ECOWAS member states are networked. The institute is building capacity for different stakeholders by providing public education for peace as part of IPCR focus in creating awareness for non-nonviolence and peaceful coexistence.