Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of the Republic of Korea, Ms Lee Junguen, has said stability is a precondition for the expansion of economic cooperation in the West African region.

She spoke at a joint seminar by the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) and the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Nigeria, themed Korea and Nigeria’s Diplomacy in a Changing World, held, yesterday, in Lagos.

She also said that value-based diplomacy would promote freedom and democracy, adding that a core strategic tenet of Korea’s national security strategy was value-based and pragmatic diplomacy in advancing national interests.

According to her, Korea is expanding networks and cooperation with like-minded countries through its mini, bi and multi-lateral approaches. Director General (DG), NIIA, Prof Eghosa Osaghae, said Korea had expanded its interface with Nigeria in the development and investment sector.

Given these partnerships, he stressed the need for Nigeria to factor defence into its foreign policy to tackle insecurity.  He stated that Korea had remained true to globalisation, even when the concept was falling apart as most key players in the world were becoming nationalistic.

According to Osaghae Nigeria and Korea have had cordial relations since 1981 and Korea has emerged as one of the industrious centres in the world and with Nigeria reaching out to countries for investment, and Korea is well positioned as a strategic partner.

Research Professor at NIIA, Femi Otubanjo, speaking on ‘4D Diplomacy After a Year,’ said democracy and development were very fundamental in Nigeria’s foreign policy doctrine in the current administration.

According to him, the foreign policy doctrine hinges on democracy, development, demographics and diaspora. To maximise the advantages of the diaspora, Otubanjo said deliberate efforts should be made towards mobilising and organising Nigerians abroad into focus groups, as well as instituting incentives, which would attract them to their homeland, and encourage them to be valuable promoters of the country’s national interest.

He said though this administration’s 4Ds doctrine seemed to be propelling an active and purposeful foreign policy, it could not be fully accessed until a tenure of a regime was fully ended.

Associate Professor and HEAD, Division of Security and Strategic Studies, NIIA, Dr Joshua Bolarinwa, represented by Senior Research Fellow, Dr Nicholas Erameh, speaking on ‘Future of ECOWAS and Nigeria’s Role in Regional Integration’, said that Nigeria had been at the forefront of ensuring peace within the region by playing a pivotal role in security.

He noted that through capacity building, training of armed forces, and investment in cyber, national and regional security, Nigeria could position itself to better participate in ECOWAS regional security.