Nigerian foreign policy review under military regime case study of Babangida's regime

 Nigeria’s foreign policy under General Ibrahim Babangida was one in which Nigeria played active role in the crises in West African sub-region especially Liberia and Sierra-Leone.  Nigeria’s involvement in the internal affairs of other countries got rekindled in 1988.  First was to settle the border conflict between Burkina Faso and Mali.  In this instance, Nigeria brokered a peace agreement acceptable to both sides but which was frustrated by France using Code d’ivore (Mohammed, 2002).

Foreign policy is a necessary activity engaged in by each sovereign State in the international system because no State is an island unto itself, nor can any State be insulated from the actions of others whether favorable or adverse(Roberto, 1965). Bilateral and multilateral inter-State relations have therefore become part of the basic ingredients of contemporary international relations

Hence, the Foreign policy of Nigeria and the substance of Nigeria's interaction with other countries have to be affected by a complex interaction of a horde of factors inside and outside her national frontiers. In this complex interaction, the domestic process, which is an imperfect fusion of a variety of conflicting interest; and the external stimuli, which requires a response in a single voice, tremendously affects the foreign policy of Nigeria, as it will of the Foreign policy of all Nations. Fashion out a policy that appears to possess a single will and purpose towards the external environment in a way that national interest is best protected and served. Since Nigeria became independent in 1960 its foreign policy, like that of most other countries, has witnessed successes and failures. The current debate on President Obasanjo’s list of Ambassadorial nominees sent to the Senate for approval provides Nigerian citizens with an opportunity to contribute to the debate on who should be nominated and why. I will leave relating to the "who and why" to observers more concerned with the internal political situation. My contribution will go beyond the internal debate concerning the disrespect of the "federal character" and the purported bias in these nominations. I will focus on the content and objectives of Nigerian foreign policy in the new millenium.