By Adoba Echono
The Nigerian government has been advised to hinge its foreign policy thrust on national interest.
The President of the Association of Foreign Relations Professionals, Ambassador Gani Lawal, made the call while briefing journalists on its fifth annual lecture scheduled for Thursday, 27th July 2023 in Abuja, Nigeria.
He said that foreign policy is an extension of internal policy dictated by the vagaries of the external environment.
According to the Ambassador, “It is expected that a nation will weave its national interest around the weight of its military-industrial complex and natural resources to earn a favourable comparable edge in the global intercourse”.
He said at present, the national interest of Nigeria should be to build a strong economic base and fight insurgency and terrorism.
On the regional and continental level, Ambassador Lawal commended Nigeria’s stance on zero tolerance for military coups and undemocratic change of government in Africa.
He disclosed that the topic of the Lecture, which is “Examining the Nexus between Foreign Policy Goals and Democratic Governance”, was carefully chosen to create an opportunity to listen to the perspectives of consummate diplomats and statesmen, who had been for decades at the forefront of governance and diplomacy.
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The Association of Foreign Relations Professionals of Nigeria (AFRPN) is a society of foreign relations experts consisting of serving and retired career diplomats, ambassadors, scholars, and researchers on foreign policy and international relations.
Ambassador Lawal said the vision of the association is to work with decision-makers to make Nigeria and, by implication, Africa, a great player and respected voice within the international arena.
Meanwhile, the association has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to appoint a seasoned diplomat as Minister of Foreign Affairs, so as to get the best in the sector, as the country needs a professional to man the ministry and take it to its rightful position amongst the comity of nations at the global stage.
Emmanuel Ukoh
