Foreign policy should determine who becomes president in 2019 – Prof. Dunmoye
Ayo Dunmoye is a professor of Political Science in the Department of Political Science and International Studies, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria. He is also a member of the Society for International Relations Awareness’ (SIRA) Board of Trustees. In
From Isa Sa’idu, Zaria
Some Nigerians are not conversant with the issue of foreign policy, does foreign policy of a state play any role in its development?
From time immemorial nation-states, even before 1648, exchanged diplomats or envoys. This is because of two main factors, trade and peaceful coexistence. States relate with one another for economic survival. This brings about improvement in people’s welfare. When states exchange envoys, they tend to live peacefully with one another and this leads to peace and harmony in the world. There are other reasons why states relate with one another, but these two are the fundamental.
After 1648, it emerged that no nation can be an island, but fundamentally foreign policy is basically determined by the national interest of a country. National interest is usually strongly related with the economy of a country. Any other thing, including security, is subservient to that. National interest is the core value of the country and is anchored on the country’s sovereignty and that sovereignty should be dictated by the people. This is why foreign policy is not just about sending envoys and diplomats.
It is about economy, security and even projecting the image of a country.
Based on the importance of foreign policy, is it proper to leave the formulation in the hands of politicians and those in government only?
Foreign policy formulation is an elite enterprise. Academics are part of these elite.
The only difference is that the academics are organic elite, that is, they are intellectuals. Invariably, there should be collaboration between the political elite and the intellectuals, so that the intellectuals can make their input in the foreign policy formulation.
However, more often than not, the political elite tend to neglect the intellectuals because of some self-serving interests. There was a time in Nigerian history where experts in international relations were brought in as foreign ministers. Bolaji Akinyemi was one during Babangida’s regime. It was during that regime that we had the Kuru conference on foreign policy, which came out with important advice on Nigeria’s foreign policy.
After that, there was also Ibrahim Gambari. He was a foreign affairs minister, Director General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs and later Nigeria’s permanent representative at the United Nations. These are some of the experts that are intellectuals and their inputs in Nigeria’s foreign policy are there for all to see.
What informed the formation of SIRA?
Nigeria has the Institute for International Affairs where they conduct a lot of researches and there is Nigerian Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPPS). However, the relationship between politicians and intellectuals in the formulation of Nigeria’s foreign policy has not been as deep as somebody would have expected.
In Britain, for instance, there is the Chatham House where you have foreign policy experts. They have a journal and also invite diplomats to come and talk to them on international issues. In SIRA, we are thinking along that line. Secondly, and more fundamentally, we also believe that there should be the input of Nigerian people in foreign policy formulation. People should know what is going on in the foreign policy of the country. People should also influence Nigeria’s foreign policy.
We have started moving on how to involve Nigerians in the nation’s foreign policy formulation. We have started with postgraduate students in Nigerian universities.
Remember the 1961 Nigeria’s defence pact with Britain; the student championed the abrogation and it was successful. We are worried that Nigerian students are now not forthcoming, not only on Nigeria’s foreign policy, but also in terms of influencing governance generally.
This is the reason we think that SIRA would be able to influence foreign policy making and also bring foreign policy decisions known to the general public. We want to be a kind of pressure group on Nigeria’s foreign policy formulation.
During the Nigeria/Cameroun Bakassai crisis, we went to the National Assembly and told them the bitter truth that Bakassai does not belong to Nigeria. During the Mali crisis, we also went there to talk to them on a wellresearched point of view about the implications of Nigeria’s involvement.
Recently, we came out with a paper on the intent of Morocco to join ECOWAS. We told them that it is not in Nigeria’s interest that Morocco should join ECOWAS. We gave reasons. The ECOWAS, as the name implies, is sub-regional international organisation for Daily Trust on Sunday, West African states.
The ECOWAS believes in good governance and democracy while Morocco is practicing monarchy and by extension running an autocratic regime. Another reason we gave was the fact that Morocco would dilute Nigeria’s influence in ECOWAS. Morocco is also not having cordial relationship with her neighbours.
Morocco is a member of the Maghreb union and because of the crisis between Morocco and Algeria, the union has not been able to meet for a year or so. There are other issues that contradict Nigeria’s foreign policy that Morocco does, especially on the independence of the Spanish-Sahara.
What do you intend to achieve with