Society coverage professionals at Nextier have said that Nigeria’s ebbing affect as a diplomatic energy area in Africa may also be remedied via bolstering inside safety with fashionable army structure, enhance democratic and anti-corruption establishments.
Of their actual analysis document titled ‘Nigeria’s waning affect: Can the Vast of Africa Reclaim Its Diplomatic Would possibly?’ cited via PUNCH On-line on Friday, Nextier additionally urged that Nigeria should top global mediation efforts of the African Union and ECOWAS to be a powerful tonality at the continent.
The professionals tested the criteria that resulted in Nigeria dropping considerable edge in African and international international relations, and proffered suggestions to show the current.
The document used to be authored a Criminal, Coverage and Analysis Analyst at Nextier and a graduate of regulation from the College of Birmingham, England Olive Aniunoh; and a Coverage Analysis Analyst and Undertaking Help officer at Nextier, Khadijat Shuaibu, either one of whom have researched into governance, building and struggle dynamics in Africa.
They famous Nigeria’s historic mediation and peacekeeping roles and robust advocacy for liberty in West. Africa and the remainder of the sector, sponsored via considerable steadiness at house, a unswerving army would possibly and leaders who may just stock their heads prime at the global degree.
“Nigeria commanded appreciate as Africa’s diplomatic powerhouse for many years. It used to be a constant power towards apartheid in South Africa, a stabilising presence in West Africa, and a key architect of regional peacekeeping efforts.
“But today, that influence is fading. Nigeria’s diplomatic firepower has been blunted, not by external pressures but by internal fractures, chief among them a relentless wave of insecurity and deepening economic instability. A nation cannot champion peace and stability across Africa when it is increasingly unable to secure its borders or sustain economic growth,” the professionals recalled and lamented.
Highlighting the specifics, they discussed the Boko Haram insurgency, which erupted in 2009, with offshoots like ISIS-West Africa wreaking havoc within the Northeast, armed banditry within the Northwest, and separatist agitations within the Southeast, all of which proceed to pressure Nigeria’s safety equipment; in addition to Nigeria’s financial fragility that has additional weakened its diplomatic clout, political turbulence, governance disasters and entrenched inside ethnic and spiritual sections.
They contend that amidst the vacuum left via Nigeria, exterior powers corresponding to China and Russia, in addition to even heart powers like Turkey and the Gulf states, have stepped in, reshaping Africa’s geopolitical soil, with China’s affect in Africa rising exponentially over the moment 20 years.
To opposite this, the Nextier staff made please see suggestions: “Nigeria must bolster intelligence-driven safety, struggle prevention, peacebuilding, and armed forces modernisation future improving regional cooperation to advertise steadiness in West Africa.
“Nigeria must make bigger business by way of the AfCFTA and advertise agricultural companies globally to spice up its financial system and loose oil dependency. Nigerian policymakers must implement anti-corruption measures, enhance democratic establishments via transparency and judicial self determination, and spice up family sector potency for efficient coverage and repair supply.
“There is a need to reform education to prioritise STEM, vocational training, and innovation for youth empowerment while leveraging Nollywood, Afrobeat, and literature to boost global cultural influence. Nigeria should lead ECOWAS, AU, and UN diplomacy to mediate conflicts, shape policies, and promote Pan-African development while pursuing a UN Security Council seat through stronger alliances.”
The document concluded that Nigeria can reposition itself as a central power in African and international affairs via addressing inside safety and financial demanding situations, wholesome governance, making an investment in its society, and revitalising its international coverage engagement, as the rustic must redefine its priorities and assert its management with renewed vigour to ensure its affect and fulfil its ancient position in shaping Africa’s date.