Stakeholders advocate holistic review of Nigeria foreign policy

Human rights groups and activists have called for the holistic review of Nigeria’s foreign policy. Participants at a one-day stakeholders forum on foreign policy and human rights organised  by Partnership for Justice, PJ, in Lagos, noted that approaches to foreign policy by Nigeria were not well thought out and do not add value to Nigeria’s foreign policy or value to Nigerians at home and abroad, insisting that foreign policy is  government policy and should be of benefit to all Nigerians.JP’s Managing Partner, Mrs Itoro Eze-Anaba, convener of the forum, noted that Nigeria was not pulling its weight as the most populous black country in the world as it should, despite having been elected a non permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and the Chair of Africa Group at the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Participants contented that the process of formulating Nigeria’s foreign policy was left to a few Nigerians without the involvement of civil society and as a result, the masses do not know what Nigeria’s foreign policy is, neither do they know the goals and objectives of the policy.

According to them, Africa as the centerpiece of Nigeria’s foreign policy, was no longer tenable as African countries had gained independence and new challenges had emerged, and that Nigeria’s foreign policy lacks human rights content and as such,  is a violation of Section 19 of the 1999 constitution, which provides that foreign policy should have respect for international law and treaty obligations, which  include human rights treaties signed and ratified by Nigeria.

They further noted that Nigeria’s foreign relations seem to be only about trade but  human rights  and observed that there was no coordination in the formulation and implementation of the country’s foreign policy but animosity and competitiveness among agencies involved, adding that in many cases, participation at international meetings was not well planned out and those who attend such meetings don’t take active part in discussions.