Nigeria’s Foreign Policy Before Buhari: Global Expectations Amid Domestic and Regional Challenges

The document analyzes Nigeria's struggle to maintain its status as a 'regional hegemon' since the return to democracy in 1999. It argues that while Nigeria has a history of assertive 'Africa-centred' foreign policy, this has been eroded by domestic instability, corruption, the Boko Haram insurgency, and a lack of strategic leadership. The author highlights a shift in continental pre-eminence from Nigeria to South Africa and notes that Nigeria's regional influence in West Africa is contested and often dependent on external actors like France. The paper concludes that only a fundamental restructuring of domestic governance and the economy can restore Nigeria's international standing.

• Since returning to electoral democracy in May 1999, Nigeria has been unable to replicate the assertive and activist foreign policies it maintained during the 1970s and 1980s.
• Nigeria's status as a continental leader has been largely superseded by post-apartheid South Africa, which possesses a more functional diplomatic and economic system.
• Domestic failures, including systemic corruption, a dysfunctional power sector, and the Boko Haram insurgency, have severely impaired Nigeria's ability to project power abroad.
• Nigeria has a strong record in international peacekeeping, having participated in at least 40 UN missions and spending approximately $13 billion on these operations since 1960.
• The 'Africa centrepiece' foreign policy, which focused on decolonisation and anti-apartheid efforts until 1994, has lost its coherence and direction in the post-colonial era.
• Despite being the primary funder of the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), providing 60% of its equity, Nigeria does not control the bank's executive leadership.
• The Goodluck Jonathan administration demonstrated a lack of strategic autonomy by relying on France to organize a summit with regional neighbors to combat Boko Haram in May 2014.
• Nigeria's economic influence has been volatile, briefly becoming Africa's largest economy in April 2014 before being overtaken by South Africa again in August 2016 due to falling oil prices and currency fluctuations.

APA

Amuwo, ’. (2016). Nigeria’s Foreign Policy Before Buhari: Global Expectations Amid Domestic and Regional Challenges. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Occasional-Paper-245.pdf

Chicago

Amuwo, ’Kunle. Nigeria’s Foreign Policy Before Buhari: Global Expectations Amid Domestic and Regional Challenges. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2016. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Occasional-Paper-245.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Amuwo |first1=’Kunle |title=Nigeria’s Foreign Policy Before Buhari: Global Expectations Amid Domestic and Regional Challenges |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=November 2016 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Occasional-Paper-245.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{amuwo2016nigerias, author = {Amuwo, ’Kunle}, title = {{Nigeria’s Foreign Policy Before Buhari: Global Expectations Amid Domestic and Regional Challenges}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2016}, month = nov, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Occasional-Paper-245.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }