TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Pages
Cover
Page ...................................................................................... i
Certification ..................................................................................... ii
Dedication
....................................................................................... iii
Acknowledgement
........................................................................... iv
Table of Contents ............................................................................ v
CHAPTER
ONE
1.0 Introduction
............................................................................. 1
1.1 Background
to Nigerian Foreign Policy .................................... 1
CHAPTER
TWO
2.0 Nigerian
Foreign Policy During the Nigerian Biafran War,
1966- 975
............................................................................... 12
2.1 The
Domestic Politics of Nigeria Foreign Policies during
the
war..................................................................................... 12
Note of References.
................................................................. 18
CHAPTER
THREE
3.0
The
International Community, Nigeria Foreign Policy and
the War..............
..................................................................... 20
3.1
Nigeria's
Foreign Policy Towards African and the World
Countries During the war ........................................................ 20
3.2
Nigeria
and Western Europe during the war........................... 25
3.3
Nigeria
and the East During The War................... ................... 28
3.4
References
................................................... ........................... 32
CHAPTER
FOUR
4.0 The
Achievements and Constraints to Nigeria Foreign Policy
1966-1975……........................................................................... 34
4.1
Constraints
………………………….................................................... 34
4.2
Achievements
…………………………….............................................37
4.3
Summary
and Conclusion..........................................................39
4.4
Future
Challenges……………........................................................ 40
4.5
Bibliography
...............................................................................43
4.6
References..................................................................................44
CHAPTER
FIVE
5.1
Summary................................................................................... 45
5.2
Conclusion................................................................................ 45
5.3
Recommendation
.................................................................... 46
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to Nigerian Foreign Policy
For a meaningful understanding of Nigeria's
foreign policy, there is need to define the term foreign policy. Several
attempts have been made to provide generally acceptable definition of foreign
policy. However, as Olajide Aluko rightly observes, nobody has really formulated a universally acceptable
definition of the concept and probably will ever succeed in doing so.
Meanwhile, for the purpose of this work, some of these definitions have been
propounded by scholars quite renowned in International Relations.
Northedge conceptualizes foreign policy
as interplay between the outside and the inside. Charles Lerche and Abdul A.
Said maintain that "the foreign policy of a state usually refers to the
general principles by which a state governs its reactions to the international
environment. To Miller, "foreign policy is presumably something less than
the sum of all policies which have an effect upon a national government's
relations with other national governments".
In sum, foreign policy is essentially
the instrumentality by which states influence or seek to influence the external
world, and to attain objectives which that are in consonance with their
perceived national interest.
Hence we can conceive of Nigeria's foreign policy as the explicit
objectives which Nigeria
wants to pursue and achieve in her external relations. Essentially, it is the
instrumentality by which Nigeria
influences the global environment and through which she realizes objectives
that are in conformity with her perceived national interest. More importantly,
foreign policy therefore has to do with actions of a country towards the
external environment or actions such a country takes in its relationship with
others.
Foreign policy therefore remains a
reflection of domestic policy. It is very important that in formulating foreign
policy a nation must appreciate its national interest as earlier reiterated.
Meanwhile, the background to Nigerian
policy could partly be found in its objectives and has subsequent roles and
performance in the continent. The objective of Nigeria's foreign policy have since
the country's attainment of nationhood in 1960, been broadly spelt out by
successive administrations. Addressing the parliament on August 20 1960, the
Prime Minister Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa identified certain fundamental
objectives of Nigeria's
foreign policy, the most prominent and on which others are anchored being
"the promotion of national interest of the federation and of its
citizens". This in essence means that Nigeria's foreign policy, like that
of any other country ought to be fundamentally guided by the national interest.
Unfortunately, what constitutes the country's national interest was not clearly
articulated, and with the Balewa's administration and that of the two subsequent
regimes of Ironsi and Gowon merely remised their foreign policies on their
world perception of what they consider as Nigeria's interest. It was not
until the inception of Murtala/Obasanjo's regime in 1975 that the broad strands
of Nigeria's
national interest was clearly addressed. The Adedeji Commission that was set up
to examine Nigeria's
foreign policy in all its ramifications made a number of recommendations that
had far reaching effects on Nigeria’s external relations.
Based on the commission’s report,
General Obasanjo in June 1976 identified the elements of national interest
which also constitute the objectives of the country’s foreign policy as
follows:
1. The defence of our sovereignty,
independence and territorial integrity.
2. The creation of the necessary political
and economic conditions in Africa and the rest
of the world which will facilitate the defence of the independence and
territorial integrity of the African countries while at the same time, foster
nation’s self-reliance and rapid economic development.
3. The promotion of equality and
self-reliance in Africa and the rest of the
developing world.
4. The promotion and defence of justice
and respect for human dignity especially the dignity of the Blackman.
5. The defence and promotion of world
peace.
However, while these grand objectives
described Nigeria’s
national interests, some of them as Aluko posits are not realizable and cannot
therefore “provide national and realistic basis for the country’s behaviour”.
For instance, the second and third
objectives seem to extend beyond the capacity of Nigeria. This is perhaps the reason
why General Obasanjo lays emphasis on three broad objectives – territorial
integrity, independence and rapid economic development as being central in the constitutional
provision of the Federal Republic of Nigeria lucidly enact the basic objectives
of Nigeria’s
foreign policy under the fundamental objectives and directives principle of
state policy. For instance, section 19 of the 1979 constitution states that:
“The
state should promote African Unity, as well as total political economic, social
and cultural liberation of Africa and all
other forms of international cooperation. Conducive of the consolidation of
universal peace and mutual respect and friendship among all peoples and states,
and shall combat racial discrimination in all its manifestations”.
Similarly, section 20 of the 1989
constitution spells out the foreign policy goals of nation as follows:
1. Promotion and protection of the
national interest.
2. Promotion of the total liberation of Africa from colonial rule and support of Africa Unity.
3. Promotion of international cooperation
from the consolidation of universal peace and mutual respect among all nations and elimination of racial
discrimination in all its manifestations.
4. Respect for international law and
treaty obligations as well as the seeking of settlement of international
disputes by negotiation, mediation, conciliation, arbitration and adjudication
and promotion of a just world economic order.
Thus, both the 1979 and 1989 constitution
enshrine the same foreign objectives, the promotion of a just world economic
order being the only national in the 1989 constitution. Inspite of this slight adjustment, the
instance of the foreign objectives generally has not changed. Whatever
differences that exist therefore cannot be attributed to changes in substance but
rather in the emphasis placed on the specific objectives as well as the style
adopted by a particular regime in executing the objectives.
Be that as it may, the conduct of Nigeria's
foreign policy has been publicly proclaimed by them (Political Elites) to be
guided by the same principle which are also in conformity with the well
established principles of traditional law as well as the charter of the
Organization of African Unity (OAU). They are:
(1) Sovereign equality of all states
(2) Respect of territorial integrity and
independence of other states
(3) Non-interference in the internal affairs of
other states
(4) Commitments to self determination and
independence of other states
(5) Commitments to functional approach as a means
of promoting cooperation
and peaceful co-existence in Africa;
and
(6) Non alignment to any geo-political power
blocs.
As an independent, sovereign states, Nigeria
has always emphasized the principle of legal equality of all states, that it
also in conformity with her conviction that a well-ordered and peaceful society
requires mutual and reciprocal respect for the interests and opinions of all
the national actors. Hence, Nigeria
since the Balewa regime and up to Abubakar administrations, she always made it
abundantly clear that in the pursuit of her leadership role in Africa, she does not have any intention to dominate any
country.
Also related to the principle of
sovereign equality of all states is that of respect of territorial, integrity
and independence of other states. It is the belief of Nigeria that the territorial
integrity of other states be respected. In the same vein, the principle of
non-interference in the internal affairs of other states has always been
jealously guarded by Nigeria.
She is found interfering in serious cases which bothers on the state's
infringement of their people's human rights and the need for peace keeping.
This accounted for Nigeria's
intervention in the Chadian internal crisis in the 1970s and 1980s.
It was the launch of Nigerian government
that conflict in Chad which
is a neighbouring country poses security problem for Nigeria. On the other hand, Nigeria
intervention in the Liberian and Sierra-Leonean domestic crises is essentially
to justify her regional power status and perception of her leadership role in
the sub-region.
It is also in the spirit of promoting
cooperation and peaceful coexistence in Africa that Nigeria has sought membership of
various international organizations. Upon her attainment of independence in
1960, the country joined the United Nations Organisation (UNO).
Nigeria also played active role in the
formation of the organization of African Unity (OAU) in 1963, and propelled in
the collaboration with Togo,
the establishment of Economic of West African States (ECOWAS) in 1975.
The country has been playing front-line
role in these organizations. For instance, she has been both chairman of the
United Nations General Assembly and has been chairman of both OAU and the ECOWAS
on a number of occasions. At independence, Nigeria foreign policy started on a
moderate level. This is inevitably expected since the country obtained its independence
on a platter of gold was not expected to be radical in the pursuit of foreign
policy.
Having gained independence from the
British, its colonial master, Nigeria
still maintained a cordial relationship with Britain having a conservative relationship.
Before long, Nigeria embraced policy of
non-alignment, which reflects a culture of non-committal to any political
ideology whether from the East or West.
In spite of the unequivocal statement
by the Prime Minister, Nigeria
was unruffled. Even not the quest for an Anglo-Defence pact could deter him
from not standing firm with the principles of non-alignment. The defence pact
of 1961 was meant or rather conceived as a means by which Nigeria/Britain could
have joint military relations.
Soon, the pact was dead when in 1962 it
was seriously greeted with opposition from many that did not like the idea.
While all these lasted, the military
struck in January 1966 and took over the reigns of power from the civilian.
When the military eventually assumed the mantle of leadership, they continued to
see how Nigeria's
foreign policy could move forward.
Ironsi who became the Head of State
could not inject any fundamental changes in Nigerian politics as he was busy
trying to resolve huge political problems created by the Nigerian civil war,
and in no distant time there was a counter coup which swept away the regime of
Ironsi and bringing about Yakubu Gowon as the new Head of State. His regime
witnessed a serious internal crisis and as a result, he could not achieve any
significant progress during the war years.
By January 1970, the civil war came to
an end, having raged for thirty months. The Western style of foreign policy
remained unabated. To complicate matters, Nigeria
experienced a strange relationship with Britain
for failing to give military assistance to Nigeria during the war year. This prompted
Nigeria to turn to the Soviet Union for help which she eventually got.
When the war eventually came to an end,
the Nigerian economy blossomed as oil resumes boomed. Consequently, upon this, Nigeria
provided leadership. In 1975, Gowon was toppled through a coup d'etat. Murtala
regime made far-dramatic changes in Nigeria's foreign affairs. One of
such change is the interaction of Nigeria
in the politics of Angola.
In the course of freedom for
independence of Angola,
General Murtala Muhammed brought dynamism in Nigeria's foreign services and
relations with the external world. Out of three contending groups for supremacy
of power in Angola, Murtala
Mohammed earnestly desired a National government for the people of Angola.
Having observed the intrigues between
the East and West over UNITA and the National Front for the control of Angola, he (Murtala Muhammed) decided to support
the MPLA popular Front for the liberation of Angola. With this move, even as South Africa was earnestly desiring a puppet
government of UNITA in Luanda,
Nigeria
declared and recognized MPLA.
Before long, he was assassinated but
this did not stop the nature of radicalism already in Nigerian foreign
relations.
At his demise, Obasanjo Olusegun took
over and continued in his footstep making Nigeria centre of his policy.
Attempts were made to return to civil rule, which later materialized in 1979
when he handed power to Shehu Shagari.
In accordance with the Murtala/Obasanjo
regime's political transition programme, General Obasanjo successfully handed
power to the civilian. While in office, Shehu Shagari was not comfortable with
the OAU summit as he refused to attend their summit in Tripoli,
unless Libya
meets two conditions.
The first was that the OAU member
states should be allowed to participate and not Libya
should withdraw its troops from Chad.
His regime was terminated in 1985 by Ibrahim Babangida who came up with the
structural adjustment programme. Unfortunately the SAP programme could not see
the light of the day. Meaning that Nigeria's economy is still tied to
the apron string of the white man.
Later, he came out with a military
outfit - ECOMOG - Ecowas Military Group which is expected to keep peace in the
continent. Babangida installed a puppet government when the heat was on
following a political crisis that greeted the annulment of the June 12, 1993
Presidential election, the regime has been following the footsteps of lbrahim
Babangida when it was eventually removed from office by Sanni Abacha. Sanni
Abacha later ensured a lasting solution to the Liberian crisis.
At his demise, after much political crisis
which came with unending troubles, he Abubakar Abdulsalam took over from him
and later ushered the Nigerian state to a democratic rule in May 1999.
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