Tuggar: Nigeria Needs Foreign Policy Review to Meet Current Global Trend

•As stakeholders canvass reforms to prevent ECOWAS’ disintegration at 50

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar has said current, unfolding global events call for a review of Nigeria’s foreign policy, demanding dynamism and ensuring the protection of Nigeria’s national interest.

He insisted that diplomacy should take the lead over war, urging leaders worldwide to encourage dialogue for conflict resolution over the money draining, blood spilling war.

Delivering a speech on Thursday at the Inaugural Session of the Agora Policy Forum themed: “Nigeria’s Foreign Policy at a Time of Global Uncertainty,” Tuggar said: “We are gathered here at a time when the international order is undergoing significant transformation. Geopolitical tensions, economic realignments, daily tariffs and trade wars, security threats, climate change, and technological disruptions are reshaping the global landscape in ways that demand strategic recalibration from all nations. Traditional assumptions about democracy and markets are being questioned by state and non-state actors.”

In another related development at the diplomatic front, as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) gears up for its 50th anniversary, stakeholders from various sectors have called for immediate and holistic reform of the organisation.

The call was made on Wednesday in Abuja at a high-level forum, organised by the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) and the West Africa Democracy Solidarity Network (WADEMOS), with the theme: ‘ECOWAS @ 50, Reform or Disintegrate: Which Pathway for the Regional Bloc?’.

The CDD Senior Fellow, Prof. Jibrin Ibrahim, in his presentation, traced ECOWAS’s historical role in promoting democracy and integration in West Africa, while warning that recent developments including military coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Guinea, posed significant challenges to the bloc’s cohesion and must be acted upon.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Tuggar, in his speech noted: “As Africa’s most populous country and a key economic and diplomatic actor, Nigeria must protect and promote our values and commitment to democratic freedoms and the celebration of diversity, as we navigate these new complexities with foresight, pragmatism, and resilience.”

Tuggar said: “The post-Cold War consensus that shaped global governance for the past three decades is increasingly fracturing. The resurgence of great power competition, the fragmentation of multilateralism, and the proliferation of regional conflicts have created a more unpredictable world than ever in our post-independence history.

“The war in Ukraine has reshaped energy markets, disrupted supply chains, and exacerbated food insecurity, particularly for developing economies like ours.

“Conflict in Sudan and the Sahel has illustrated the limits of the old rules-based order, as new state and non-state actors flex influence in areas of chronic instability.

“The global economy is experiencing persistent inflationary pressures, debt crises in emerging markets, and a reconfiguration of trade partnerships.

“The rise of new technologies, from artificial intelligence to digital currencies, introduces opportunities and challenges for economic governance and national security.

“Climate change continues to pose an existential threat, with Africa disproportionately affected, despite contributing the least to global emissions.

“In this context, Nigeria’s foreign policy must be dynamic. It must ensure that our national interests are protected while we remain a responsible and engaged member of the international community.

“And above all, foreign policy must be efficient. If diplomacy is war by other means, the terrible costs of conflict must at least partially be a measure of diplomatic failure.”

He stressed that: “We should invest in capacity and exhaust all available avenues, because the alternatives are much worse. In that sense, the triumph of diplomacy should be measured as much by what we do not see, what we can avoid, and what we do see.

“To take examples from our history: we still reference – and rightly so – the sacrifice Nigeria made in Liberia and Sierra Leone in the 1990s, but not so much the efforts, through public diplomacy, back channels, direct engagement, third-party involvement, the balancing of principle with practical detail – all tricks in the diplomatic toolbox – that led to the transfer of power in Gambia without a drop of blood spilt.”

He insisted that: “Tragedies avoided are more easily forgotten than sacrifices made. For this reason, with defence budgets escalating around the world, we need to be reminded, even in a transactional world, that diplomacy should take the lead.

“It is always better to talk. We do not always deliver perfect outcomes, especially where those areas of common interest and good faith are narrow, where one side may face particular local pressures that trump what partnership might deliver. Realistic outcomes are shaped by realistic expectations.”

The minister decried that: “We see the existing order deconstructing. It was an order that did not present a level playing field for Nigeria and Africa, in terms of access to financing and markets and the tools to facilitate peace, prosperity and opportunity. As that order breaks down, what follows is much less clear.

It is our responsibility, as the region’s key power, to be a voice for Africa – to play our part in helping create a modern and dynamic order that reflects our national and shared interests.

“And that responsibility is fundamentally diplomatic: securitisation shifts thinking from strategic to tactical, to a reduction in the space for dialogue, compromise and manoeuvre. Security more than ever tilts towards hardware and technology.

“Diplomacy at its best is a very human process of interaction. Of course, a strong defence capability and the unspoken jeopardy it carries can be significant assets in negotiation, and there are moments when diplomatic routes have failed that the national interest must be defended by force. But sequencing is everything. Lives and livelihoods depend on it.”

He added that: “Nigeria’s foreign policy has traditionally been anchored on Africa as the centerpiece, supported by non-alignment, economic diplomacy, and global multilateralism. While these principles remain relevant, they must evolve to reflect the realities of our time.”

Tuggar noted that: “A nation’s foreign policy is only as firm as the intellectual and strategic framework that underpins it. This is why fora such as the Agora Policy Roundtable are invaluable. Policymakers, scholars, and industry leaders must collaborate to provide thought leadership that informs our diplomatic choices.

“Nigeria must remain proactive, adaptive, and innovative in its foreign engagements as it navigates global uncertainty. Evidence-based policymaking, a long-term vision, and a commitment to national and continental advancement must underpin our strategy.”

He insisted that: “Nigeria’s foreign policy during a time of global uncertainty is not merely about responding to external pressures but also about shaping our destiny within the international order.

“It is about ensuring that our economy is resilient, our security is safeguarded, and our voice is amplified in global decision-making.”

Meanwhile, CDD Senior Fellow, Prof. Jibrin Ibrahim said: “ECOWAS has been instrumental in deepening democracy in our region. Yet, the emergence of unconstitutional regimes threatens the unity and progress we’ve achieved.”

Ibrahim maintained the importance of continued dialogue with the Sahelian countries that have experienced coups, advocating their reintegration into ECOWAS through a renewed commitment to democratic principles.

He also noted the region’s economic struggles, saying that West Africa now hosts one of the largest populations of impoverished people globally.

He highlighted the inability of many ECOWAS member states to generate sustainable employment, particularly for the youth, fuels disillusionment and instability.

He said: “The dream of independence -access to education, opportunity, and self-determination- has faded. That broken promise is now being expressed in terrorism, displacement, and deepened poverty.”

He insisted that ECOWAS needs to undergo comprehensive reforms, calling for dismantling systems rooted in colonial and imperial legacies and emphasized the need for inclusive governance structures that prioritize the welfare of all citizens.

He said: “Without reclaiming West Africa’s resources for its people, genuine development and integration will remain a distant dream.”

On his part, the chairman of the CDD Board, Comrade John Odah, reflected on ECOWAS’s 50-year journey, acknowledging both achievements and challenges.

He urged civil society organizations to critically evaluate the bloc’s successes and shortcomings and to actively support the vision of regional integration.

He said: “ECOWAS was established to integrate 15 sub-Saharan African countries socially, economically, culturally, and politically. Despite challenges, significant progress has been made. It’s imperative for civil society to ensure that the dream of ECOWAS integration is not aborted.”

He urged stakeholders to interrogate what has been successful and what have been the challenges in the 50-year history of ECOWAS integration, and to contribute in whatever way possible to ensure the dream of ECOWAS integration is not aborted.

Speaking on behalf of the WADEMOS, Paul Osei-Kuffour, the Program Manager, CDD-Ghana and Network Coordinator, WADEMOS, said ECOWAS is facing threats and vulnerabilities which are at the core of its foundation and existence and could undermine its legitimacy and relevance.

He said that theme of the event reflects the reality of the situation confronting the region such as the exit of the three countries and the formation of the AES.

He said: “Although we experienced the exit of Mauritania in the past, the historical, cultural, security and economic ties between the three countries and ECOWAS presents its unique challenges.

“Additionally, ECOWAS response to military coups and applications of sanctions have experienced challenges and setback, and not yielded the expected results with transition in Guinea remaining in perpetuity.

“The regional body has also been criticised for not doing much to integrate the voices of community citizens in ECOWAS decision making processes and the realization of the constitutional convergence principles in its structures and institutions.

“And at the global level, which ECOWAS is not an exception, we are seeing persistent attacks on multilateral institutions as part of the playbook of authoritarian leaders hiding under the claim of sovereignty,” Osei-Kuffour said.