Benue State University, Makurdi

The African Diaspora and Nigeria’s Foreign Policy

Atah Pine and Bernard Edeifo Ileogben

Abstract

Afrocentrism is a major pillar of Nigeria’s foreign policy. Embedded in the portmanteau of this policy are multiplicities of issues that concerns the peoples of Africa in the homeland and diaspora. Nigerians constitute a large percentage of the Africans in the diaspora. But here we are interested in the African diaspora as a whole; not specifically the Nigerian Diaspora. The fundamental objective of this paper is to examine the place of the African diaspora in Nigeria’s foreign policy pursuit. Methodologically, the paper is grafted on the wheels of secondary data and qualitatively evaluated. We argue that the foreign policy vision of Nigeria has historically and ideologically derived its motorising energy from the promotion of the dignity and respect, culture and civilisation of Africa and Africans; and of peoples of African descent all over the world. The idea of Africa being the centrepiece of Nigeria’s foreign policy draws it wellspring from this philosophical doctrine. Nigeria has over the years pursued this policy with unrelenting vigour and courage. However, there seems to be an occlusion of this vision. We argue that since the dismantling of the last vestiges of colonialism and Apartheid on the continent the pursuit of a Pan-African diaspora agenda embrangled within the interstice of Nigeria’s Africa First policy is on the reclining path. We draw our evidence to support this claim from the intense accent on Nigeria diaspora affairs and the proportionally inverse tangency and contingency of the African diaspora; this narrow focus belies the potentials and status of Nigeria as the most populous and one of the leading African countries in contemporary international relations. And as yet, beyond the African diaspora being a treasure trove of diplomatic, economic and cultural capital to Nigeria, the mainstreaming and vigorous pursuit of African diaspora holds the key to Nigeria’s quest for African continental leadership and global superpowership. The establishment of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) is a step in the right direction, however, the net of Nigeria’s diaspora policy should be flung afar to critically and ideologically aerate African diaspora issues.

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