NIGERIA'S FOREIGN POLICY AND NATIONAL INTEREST: AN EVALUATION OF THE FOURTH REPUBLIC
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Date
2015-04
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Department of Political Science, Nigeria Police Academy, Wudil, Kano State.
Abstract
It is an established fact that 1999 marked the modern democratic trend in Nigeria, after years of military intervention. However, the former president Olusegun Obasanjo embarked on shuttle diplomacy as a foreign policy towards redeeming the country's image which had been dented by military regime. Such gesture assisted in reshaping Nigeria's standing within the international community. The emergence of Yar'Adua as the successor of Obasanjo after the 2007 Presidential election enhanced the introduction of 'Citizen Diplomacy' as the centre piece of his administration foreign policy. This which provided avenue for Nigeria's citizens especially those in Diaspora to shape the country's external relations positively. The demise of Yar'Adua shortened the goals of his foreign policy. The present Jonathan's administration has also reviewed the foreign policy of Nigeria on citizen-focused and connects foreign policy to domestic policy with much emphasis on economic diplomacy. This makes it imperative in this study to explore Nigeria's foreign policy vis a vis her national interest. The paper argues that lack of consistency and continuity has been the major hurdle to the actualization of the country's national interest in her external relations.
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Keywords
Foreign Policy, National Interest, Citizen Diplomacy, Economic, Diplomacy