Nigerians are the top priority in the country's international relations, according to the minister

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The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sola Enikanolaiye, has said Nigeria must first become economically resilient, secure and stable before it can effectively reclaim its leadership position in Africa and exert greater influence globally.

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Speaking at the launch of “Shadows of Power”, a book authored by retired Rear Admiral Sola Oluwagbire in Abuja on Thursday, the minister stressed that President Bola Tinubu’s reforms were aimed at strengthening the country’s domestic foundations as a prerequisite for a more dynamic foreign policy.

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“You cannot have a dynamic and activist foreign policy if the home is weak, if the country is disunited, if there is no harmony in Nigeria. How can you go outside and be taken seriously?” he said.

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The minister noted that while Nigeria remained committed to its traditional role in Africa, national stability and prosperity must come first.

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“We believe that these objectives are mutually reinforcing. Nigeria has to be secure, we have to be stable before we can even play that activist role in foreign policy that traditionally we regarded as having played in the liberation struggle and other continental engagements,” he said.

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According to him, Nigeria’s foreign policy is now being driven by a “Nigeria First” doctrine that places the interests of Nigerians at the centre of all diplomatic engagements.

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“The motto of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is actually ‘Nigeria First’. Every foreign policy action we take must speak to Nigeria,” he said.

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He explained that the administration had redefined the pillars of foreign policy to prioritise citizens’ welfare, security and economic prosperity.

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“We are locating Nigeria and Nigerians at the core of foreign policy preoccupations so that our national interest that advances our security, our defence and our economic prosperity are the core of Nigerian foreign policy,” he stated.

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The minister said the government had identified Nigeria and its neighbouring countries as the immediate focus of diplomatic engagement, arguing that the country’s security and prosperity were closely tied to developments within the sub-region.

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“Our neighbours, our security, prosperity and development are intrinsically linked to those of our neighbours. If they are not secure, it has implications for us,” he said.

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He added that the government was not abandoning Africa as the centrepiece of Nigeria’s foreign policy but was recalibrating its approach to ensure domestic priorities were adequately addressed.

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“We have decided to reprioritise that region before we move further to Africa without necessarily jettisoning Africa as the cornerstone of our foreign policy,” he said.

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On Nigeria’s relations with global powers, the minister said the country would continue to pursue strategic autonomy by aligning its international engagements with national interests rather than ideological considerations.

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“What is strategic autonomy? Simply put, it means alignment to our national interest. Therefore, wherever the wind blows, that’s where we go in pursuit of Nigeria’s interest,” he said.

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He maintained that Nigeria remained open to partnerships with both Western and non-Western countries, including China, Russia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Brazil.

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“We may have tilted a little to the West, but we have not abandoned our traditional partners. All of them remain important partners in Nigerian foreign policy,” he said.

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The minister also defended the government’s renewed security and defence cooperation with the United States and other Western allies, describing it as a continuation of longstanding partnerships tailored to address current security challenges.

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“What has happened is a reinvigoration of those partnerships in a manner that addresses our current domestic security challenges,” he said.

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He further argued that no domestic policy could succeed without factoring in international dimensions.

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“The truth of the matter is that no aspect of Nigerian domestic policy can succeed unless you identify the external components of those policies and pursue them equally,” he said.

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The minister expressed confidence that Nigeria remained on the right path despite concerns about a perceived decline in its international visibility.

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“Nigeria is still very much on course. Our visibility may have dimmed a little, but we’re trying to bring that back,” he said.

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He added that efforts were underway to rebuild the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through reforms focused on professionalism, training, institutional capacity and merit-based postings.

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“We are trying to rebuild the institution in terms of capacity building, systems and processes in a manner that instils confidence, morale and professionalism into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” he said.

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The minister also called for broader collaboration between diplomatic and defence institutions to strengthen Nigeria’s foreign policy objectives and national security interests.

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“Foreign policy is very critical. It is the flip side of defence policy, and both of them must be pursued in a coordinated manner so that our country can be better secured, prosperous and have a better future,” he added.

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Speaking, the author said the work was driven by research into how Nigeria’s relationships with major powers have shaped its security landscape.

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“It was based on my research on how the major powers have influenced Nigeria’s national security, and how our relationship with them has influenced Nigeria’s national security,” the author said.

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On the key lessons readers can draw, the author said nations must recognise that every country acts in its own interest, while also building the capacity to project influence beyond their region.

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“All nations have their own interests at heart, but they are to have the ability and the power to become not only a regional authority, but an influencer of activities on the world stage,” the author said. “That’s the major lesson — that we can do it.”

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Nigeria has historically played a leading role in Africa through its contributions to peacekeeping, regional integration and liberation movements.

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However, concerns have grown in recent years over the country’s declining influence amid domestic economic and security challenges.

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