NIGERIAN FOREIGN POLICY UNDER GENERAL IBRAHIM BADAMOSI BABANGIDA
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 SUMMARY
It is true that Nigeria has many things in abundance which should elicit respect for her in international affairs.
Throughout the making of foreign policies in Nigeria, General Babangida’s regime infused serious intellectual content in foreign policy making, there is evidence to show that Nigeria recorded tremendous progress in foreign policy making and great respect accorded to an upwardly mobile country in international affairs. The characterization of our country as a medium power is enough to alienate our African brethren in a world in which they have been badly battered by imperialism, colonialism and neo-colonialism.
However, the way they are managed in this oil-era induced wealth that was completely dished back to the imperialistic countries.
General Babangida did not use his economic diplomacy to avoid expensive international political matter as evidenced by her involvement in the expensive ECOMOG operation in Liberia.
5.2 CONCLUSION
One significant area where Nigeria displayed decisive involvement in the internal affairs of a state is in the fratricidal war in Liberia. There is no doubt that it is the initiative of Babangida that informed the ECOMOG operations in Liberia. The move by Babangida was ostensibly an attempt to stop the carnage that was accompanying the civil war in Liberia. The Babangida initiative has been criticized by many Nigerians because of the scale of involvement particularly in a period of economic crises and more so, when economic diplomacy became the major foreign policy.
5.3 RECOMMENDATIONS
The conduct of foreign policy all over the world is a joint responsibility of the government public opinion and other related bureaucracies. The field of international politics should not be categorized with domestic affairs per se because most of its issues are very complex in view of different environment and involvement.
Foreign policy is not a field where military officers will do very well. This is because they did not receive training on policy formation and implementation. Foreign policy is a complex whole. It requires expertise and specialists to make impact in terms of international politics.
The nation’s foreign policy formulators need focus on pragmatic policy formulation and implementation.
Nigeria as a regional power should assert itself and play the role effectively using available professional human resources.
Similarly, a peaceful domestic environment is of paramount importance in achieving a meaningful foreign relations. This calls on the leaders of the nation and its foreign policy formulators to strive to maintain peace domestically by ensuring stability in the polity. This will eventually lead to pragmatic foreign policy.
