Tuggar Calls for Fresh Direction in Nigeria’s Foreign Policy

Tuggar Calls for Fresh Direction in Nigeria’s Foreign Policy

JOEL OLADELE, Abuja

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has called for a reset of Nigeria’s foreign policy to meet the demands of a changing world.

Delivering a lecture at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Lagos, Tuggar warned that Nigeria cannot afford to remain static while global realities shift.

“The world is moving into a new multipolar order shaped by climate change, artificial intelligence, terrorism, migration and inequality. Nigeria must recalibrate its foreign policy to keep pace,” he said.

The minister explained that the country’s approach will now be anchored on President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and guided by the “4Ds” of foreign policy: Democracy, Development, Demography and Diaspora.

“Strategic Autonomy is not duplicity; it is pragmatism rooted in our size, resilience and moral standing,” Tuggar stressed.

He recalled Nigeria’s leadership in the liberation of Southern African nations and its pivotal role in peacekeeping across the continent, including Liberia, Sierra Leone and The Gambia.

“Our history shows that Nigeria has always risen to the occasion internationally. We must now adapt our diplomacy to remain influential in this new world order,” he noted.

Tuggar reaffirmed Africa’s central place in Nigeria’s diplomacy, pointing to opportunities in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and cooperative security arrangements such as ECOWAS and the African Union.

The minister also unveiled a new Regional Partnership for Democracy (RPD), developed with the UNDP, which aims to strengthen democratic institutions and inclusive governance in West Africa.

“We cannot allow democratic backsliding to define our region. The RPD is our own contribution to building resilience and creating platforms for dialogue, even where disagreements exist,” he explained.

Tuggar concluded by stressing Nigeria’s determination to remain a respected and self-reliant voice on the global stage.

“We will continue to build issue-based partnerships while upholding justice, equity and the advancement of Africa,” he declared.