The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, says Nigeria’s Foreign Policy must define the terms on which the country engages other countries to address the different manifestations of its challenges.
The Speaker made the remark in Abuja, at the public presentation of a book titled: “Reflections on Nigeria’s Foreign Policy; 1960- 2020,” in Abuja, the nation’s capital
Mr Gbajabiamila stressed that the measure was necessary as it guides the activities and relations of one state with others as well as its need in the area of trade, defence and non-interference.
He added that; “What we know, and have learned from both our recent experience and the experiences of others is that in this new world, our foreign policy must unapologetically define the terms on which we engage the rest of the world to address the different manifestations of our shared challenges so that we can each and together survive through this new age of promise and peril.
“To do this, we must establish the values that define us, and be clear about the concerns that motivate us and the interests that inspire us.
“Our nation’s foreign policy defines the terms on which we engage with the rest of the world. It is through our foreign policy that we declare who we are, what we stand for, and the principles we hold dear and will defend as we have done here at home and abroad in South Africa, Liberia, Sierra Leone and everywhere else we have been called.
“In this new age, when we are confronted by challenges that affect us all, a global response is the best way to ensure our collective survival. From issues of public health, to the challenges of terrorism and the myriad difficulties of globalization, international collaboration is necessary to find and implement solutions that will improve the lives and circumstances of people all over the world.”
A former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Aminu Wali, observed that foreign policy must be dynamic to maintain the dignity and importance of its people.
“Foreign policy must necessarily be dynamic because issues changed, a lot of problems cropped up, we all have to take along with these to be able to position ourselves both internally and internationally to be able to handle those issues that arise to our best advantage,” Wali stressed.
The Minority Leader of the House of Representatives Mr Toby Okechukwu, one of the authors of the book, explained that the book was an effort to build consensus on addressing challenges in the management of the country’s foreign affairs as well as celebrate its successes in the area since independence.
Mr Okechukwu explained that; “The book is the product of our modest effort to critically examine, in chronology order, the main variables that have affected the move in shaping Nigeria’s official stands and responses to forces on the foreign scene.”
The book is the historical antecedent of Nigeria’s relationship with the outside world from 1960.
It captures the evolution of Nigeria’s Foreign Policy from conception to implementation in various administrations in the areas of bilateral and multilateral relations and the various factors that determine the country’s foreign policy, to serve as a guide to the foreign policy review.
PIAK
