Nigeria’s foreign policy should be clear about our interest, says Gbaja

Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the house of representatives, says Nigeria’s foreign policy should “unapologetically” define the country’s terms of engagement with other countries. 

Gbajabiamila spoke on Wednesday at the presentation of a book titled: ‘Reflections on Nigeria’s Foreign Policy, 1960-2020’ in Abuja.

Toby Okechukwu, deputy minority leader of the house; Tony Onyishi, a professor at the University of Abuja, and Emmanuel Ukhami co-authored the book.

The speaker said Nigeria’s foreign policy must establish the country’s ideals and be clear about the concerns that motivate and interests citizens.

“We are at this moment living through one of the most fraught periods in modern human history. After six decades of relatively peaceful existence, Europe has descended into a state of tension, conflict and war. All of a sudden there is talk of nuclear weapons and the possibility, albeit slight, of a third great war,” he said.

“At the same time, in Nigeria and across the world, we are living in the wake of a global pandemic that has altered all our lives in fundamental ways. The way we do business, the way we manage the affairs of government, the nature of our interactions with family and friends, all these things have been affected, perhaps permanently. For the most part, we do not yet fully understand the consequences of these developments.

“What we know, and have learned from both our recent experience and the experiences of others is that in this new world, our foreign policy must unapologetically define the terms on which we engage the rest of the world to address the different manifestations of our shared challenges so that we can each and together survive through this new age of promise and peril. To do this, we must establish the values that define us, and be clear about the concerns that motivate us and the interests that inspire us.

“Our nation’s foreign policy defines the terms on which we engage with the rest of the world. It is through our foreign policy that we declare who we are, what we stand for, and the principles we hold dear and will defend as we have done here at home and abroad in South Africa, Liberia, Sierra Leone and everywhere else we have been called.

“In this new age, when we are confronted by challenges that affect us all, a global response is the best way to ensure our collective survival. From issues of public health to the challenges of terrorism and the myriad difficulties of globalisation, international collaboration is necessary to find and implement solutions that will improve the lives and circumstances of people all over the world.”

Gbajabiamila added that the legislature has adopted “legislative diplomacy and used it to intervene successfully in foreign relations between Nigeria and South Africa, China, Ghana and most recently, Ukraine”.