A country’s foreign policy, which portrays a country’s image and policy direction, is largely shaped by various factors. This may include its antecedents in history, past administrations, the personality of leaders who have led the country, the foreign policy focus of the current administration, the underlying domestic issues and situations within its own borders, and efforts to maintain and remain consistent with some commitment that had been made as a country towards other nations, regional bodies and other external partners.
To begin with, let’s understand the purpose of ECOWAS – the Economic Community of West African States. The regional body was set up on 28 May 1975 to promote cooperation, integration and collective self-sufficiency for its member states, as well as create a single, large trading bloc through economic cooperation. With this, member states benefit from the numerous International Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA). And from the onset, Nigeria, like several other West African country has been a full member of the regional body.
ECOWAS file photoAlongside the challenges that beset the country, Nigeria stands as the largest economy within the region and has the headquarters of ECOWAS sited within its Federal Capital Territory. Hence, ECOWAS as a body knows its need to continually strengthen the partnership that exists between Nigeria and other West African States and to get her support towards fulfilling ECOWAS integration mandate.
In May 2016, the President of the ECOWAS Commission Alain de Souza, along with senior officials of the ECOWAS Commission had a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria and discussed regional matters such as: collective security, finances, Common External Tariffs (CET), the Economic Partnership agreement (EPA), intra-community trade as well as reforms and adjustments at ECOWAS.
This visit highlighted the significance and leadership role of Nigeria to the effective functioning of the regional body, knowing too that Nigeria alone has about 2/3 of the region’s population. Both the Federal Republic of Nigeria and ECOWAS see the need to keep working together to bring about stability, peace and security in West Africa.
Besides Nigeria’s history of peacekeeping missions in Sierra Leone and Liberia, when it comes to President Buhari’s administration, his foreign policy engagement with other members of ECOWAS in the region include his efforts at fighting against terrorism and insurgency. The president has on occasions pledged Nigeria’s support for ECOWAS initiatives that are geared towards achieving greater integration.
President Buhari’s Foreign Policy towards the regional body can be viewed from his position during his military regime from 1983 to 1985 or as a civilian President. As a military Head of State, there was emphasis on regional security, while as a democratically elected president, his foreign policy has been geared towards promoting the nation’s economy. This piece will look at the latter.
This domestic stance which began with former President Yar’Adua’s administration, has been referred to as ‘Citizen Diplomacy’. Moving in this direction is an indication that the administration is giving more ear to experts and technocrats who have over the last decade advocated for a foreign policy that serves the national strategic interest of the country.
In an effort to clearly define the change in the direction of the nation’s foreign policy engagement, from a focus on Africa’s integration to focus on economic trade diplomacy aimed at resolving home and regional challenges, President Muhammadu Buhari in January 2020 highlighted nine areas in which his administration will focus its foreign policy. This was presented to the diplomatic community by Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama. He pointed out that the nation’s foreign policy will look into her domestic realities and focus on its needs first.
Hence, the 9-point agenda presented covered the following areas: building a sustainable economy, grow agricultural output, energy sufficiency with power and petroleum products, infrastructural development, business growth, reduced poverty, access to quality education and affordable health care, systems to fight corruption and improve governance, and improve security for everyone. The essence of this was to let the diplomatic community know that Nigeria’s foreign policy direction is to collaborate with countries to enable Nigeria achieve her 9-point agenda.
During this occasion, Nigeria’s foreign minister reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to continue supporting regional integration and the single currency for the region. He also highlighted Nigeria’s willingness to keep working in partnership with neigbouring countries such as Niger, Chad, Benin and Cameroon in the fight against Boko Haram.
Keeping in line with agenda to improve security for all, the Nigerian government in October 2019 closed its borders with a member country, Benin Republic. This move caused much unsettlement in trading activities across borders, which also brought Ghana calling the attention of Nigeria to the disruption caused by the closure. The focus of Nigeria was to stem criminal activities across borders. Nigeria has been concerned about the massive smuggling of contraband and illegal weapons into the country. The closure was not meant to target any country and its authority pointed out that smuggling reduced a great deal. Nonetheless, this caused countries in the region to lament the negative effect such closure caused on trading activities as Nigeria commands 76% of total trade in the region.
President Buhari made it clear that the large-scale smuggling and importation of rice was taking away from the gains made in advancing Nigeria’s agricultural policies with farmers going back to rice farming and saving monies for the country.
As was observed, the resulting effects of this border closure contradicted Nigeria’s said focus on economic trade diplomacy. Couldn’t Nigeria have handled the fight against crime in a more diplomatic way through dialogue, negotiations and collaboration with neigbouring countries such that economic trade in the region is not adversely affected? Well enough, President Buhari did mention the need to work with Benin and Niger Republics to decide together on the right policies that will help stop smuggling activities along the borders.
As Nigeria seek to carry out its 9-point agenda, the nation will need to find ways to ensure that there is effective dialogue, adequate negotiations and productive collaboration with relevant countries such that it becomes a win-win for regional engagements and international partnerships.
Following Mali’s overthrow of President Ibrahim Boubacar Kéita’s democratically elected government through a military coup on 18th August 2020, President Muhammadu Buhari alongside other country leaders in the region, have condemned the action of the Malian military and have stood up to find a solution to the impasse.
Nonetheless, President Buhari has been criticized on occasions for spending time and resources on efforts to quell problems outside his border while his own house remained on fire. With the Mali crisis still on, President Buhari has lingering and urgent issues waiting to be resolved such as the incessant killings in Southern Kaduna, killings of soldiers and other citizens in his home state of Katsina and terrorists’ attacks and killings in Borno.
Despite his home troubles, President Buhari has not failed to keep to his unflinching commitment to collaboratively work towards peace and security in the ECOWAS region and support of ECOWAS in its non-tolerance for unconstitutional change of government such as is currently ongoing in Mali.
The call is for the administration of President Buhari keep its promise to focus on its economic trade diplomacy through its 9-point agenda and so strike a good balance between solving its burning problems at home and maintaining his commitment to the objectives of the ECOWAS region.
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