Nigeria’s foreign policy should be reviewed to protect the country’s domestic priorities, particularly its economic and political interests at home and abroad, President Goodluck Jonathan has recommended.
Jonathan made the call yesterday, while declaring open a seminar on the need to ‘Review Nigeria ’s Foreign Policy’, organised by the Presidential Advisory Council on International Relations and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja.
President Jonathan further suggested that the policy review should take into consideration, emerging global challenges such as terrorism, transnational crimes and the proliferation of arms and weapons, and should be reviewed to protect Nigeria ’s interests where these are concerned.
He however cautioned that changes being sought, should not affect bilateral and multi-lateral relations of Nigeria with other countries.
“When the interest of Africa is at stake, we must be assertive not dogmatic. Our commitment to global peace must continue through our peace-keeping efforts,” he observed.
He urged the Ministry to document the efforts and activities of Nigeria in global peace-keeping efforts as well as the human and material resources expended. Such documentation, would, in his view, help Nigeria ’s quest for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Olugbenga Ashiru said the economic agenda would be pushed through a strong partnership with the Organised Private Sector (OPS) which would entail that the OPS would be part of all high level visits abroad, so as to explore business opportunities.
Ashiru added that Nigeria could not continue to deliver assistance to other countries without expectations of reciprocal co-operation, and asked that aid and technical programmes should henceforth be managed in a manner that enhances the country’s interest.
“ Nigeria would deepen its relations with its immediate neighbours in a manner that guarantees the security and prosperity of our nation. We will not waiver in this commitment, for as a country, while we can choose our friends, we cannot choose our neighbours,” he noted.
“Reforms to meet up with these expectations are being made; one of which is the upgrading of the Foreign Service Academy in Badagry as a platform to train and retrain foreign officers of all cadres”.
The seminar had in attendance, some members of the Federal Executive Council, former ministers of foreign affairs, retired ambassadors, members of the diplomatic corps, officers of the country’s security agencies and members of the organised private sector.
The seminar concludes on Wednesday and is expected to provide recommendations to chart a new course.
