Nigeria’s Foreign Policy in the Age of Globalisation: Issues and Challenges

The focus of this chapter is to examine Nigeria’s foreign policy in the age of globalisation. It argues that globalisation as the key defining characteristic of the twenty-first century has significantly influenced the operational environment of Nigeria’s foreign policy. The twenty-first-century strategic environment is generally characterised by volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity and this has very far-reaching implications for Nigeria’s foreign policy. The most obvious implication of this is that Nigeria’s foreign policy is on a slippery slope which requires utmost care to maintain balance. What this means is that due diligence must be applied in dealing with critical foreign policy issues. Nigeria’s foreign policy makers must dig deep to uncover hidden motivations behind certain actions and inactions of other actors within the international environment. The complexity of the global environment suggests that foreign policy issues should be painstakingly analysed to generate critical insights that could help in articulating appropriate and effective responses to them. The chapter concludes that Nigeria’s foreign policy in the age of globalisation requires critical and strategic thinking to be able to gain deep insights into issues of common interest desiring appropriate responses. It recommends that Nigeria’s foreign policy decision-makers must be sensitive and responsive to both local and external challenges for speedy consideration and determination of possible courses of action.

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Authors and Affiliations

1. Karl Kumm University, Vom, Nigeria Audu Nanven Gambo

1. Audu Nanven Gambo