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FOREIGN POLICY AND THE PATH TO PEACE IN A DANGEROUS NEIGHBOURHOOD

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11 months ago

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FOREIGN POLICY AND THE PATH TO PEACE IN A DANGEROUS NEIGHBOURHOOD

By: Michael
Mike

Nigeria’s foreign policy to promote peace and prosperity is a constitutional obligation as much as it is a considered and sensible manifesto pledge, writes Hon Yusuf Tuggar, Minister of Foreign Affairs.

I was born in a civil war and was not able to vote for my leader until I was in my 30s. Nigeria is now a country guided by the rule of law and a constitution that clearly defines our system of government. This includes our foreign policy objectives, and rightly so, because in an interconnected world, we define our sovereignty in the context of certain, key principles: our right to self-determination; our right to defend our autonomy and secure our borders; and responsibility to respect our obligations under international law.

As foreign minister, I think these provisions are not just reasonable but vital – both for our own democracy, domestic peace and prosperity but also for a more just and stable international order. But the point is this: it is the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, not the manifesto of a political party or predilections of a particular politician, that lays out these provisions. In a democracy, we have the privilege of healthy debate about our values, policies and performance. But if we are to live up to the responsibilities that come with democracy, that debate should be informed, fair and reasonable.

I respect the Constitution and its vision for Nigeria’s place in the international community, as do many of us. It has been an honour and a privilege to protect and promote those constitutional principles. They are the best guarantees for legitimacy, and the authority all governments need if they are to deliver. It is complex and time consuming. To our cost, we have learnt that there are no short cuts. Some Nigerians find fault in our Constitution, while others seek to amend it. There is always room for serious debate in a healthy democracy. But the fact remains it is the very document that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and every public official has sworn to uphold since 1999.

Nigeria’s Constitution declares that sovereignty belongs to the people of Nigeria, from whom government, through this Constitution, derives all its powers and authority. The same Chapter of the Constitution goes on to state Nigeria’s five foreign policy objectives: promotion and protection of the national interest, African integration and support for African unity, promotion of international cooperation for peace and mutual respect, respect of international law and treaty obligations and promotion of a just world economic order. Those who suggest Nigeria does not have a foreign policy or those who agitate for a shift away from an Afro-centric foreign policy are wrong; either they are ill-informed, or deliberately disingenuous.

The irony of it all is that Nigerians are able to speak in support of our military-ruled neighbours, governed without constitutions, precisely because Chapter Four of our own constitution guarantees them these rights and freedoms. This is not the same for the citizens ruled by the very regimes for which they seek to cheerlead of those countries governed without constitutions. Nigerians who are older than 30 know this to be true because we have been there, done that. Somehow in the passage of time, some forget that the military regime here that despatched troops to restore democracy in Sierra Leone and Liberia in the 1990s had first – and by force – taken that same democracy and rule of law away from us – just as military regimes continue to do the world over.

The Constitution also makes clear why any responsible Nigerian government should be concerned when neighbours are governed without a constitution or codified rules. It goes without saying that the sovereignty of our neighbours is their business. They can grant powers to whatever governing structures they deem fit and should expect their autonomy to remain safeguarded. But when our Interdependence Sovereignty overlaps, we equally have a right to exercise control over our borders in those cases where neighbours face insurgencies that significantly comprise territorial integrity and state authority.

International Legal Sovereignty also becomes an issue when we consider that respect for international law and treaty obligations is one of our irreducible foreign policy objectives. This is not the Tinubu administration’s foreign policy; it is a constitutional provision that every Nigerian President and government official swears to uphold. Nigeria is a member of ECOWAS, which is founded on treaties and protocols to which our foreign policy objectives commit us. All 15 member countries are signatory to the treaties and protocols, which is why it was no surprise that President Tinubu, as one who swore to uphold the Constitution, abided by it when ECOWAS leaders collectively objected to Unconstitutional Changes of Government.

In reality, the contemporary nation-state system is highly competitive and Nigeria exists in a self-help world. Our Constitution and international laws are meant to serve as guard rails in navigating the system. And by virtue of our size, we have the additional responsibility of being the regional power. Regardless of how some may try to diminish our standing, it is the way other countries perceive us. Our Constitution further reifies this leadership role right from the preamble- dedicating ourselves to promoting inter-African solidarity, to the foreign policy objectives- promotion of African integration and support for African unity and elimination of discrimination in all its manifestations.

The Tinubu administration comes at a time when an interlocking suite of occurrences have made our neighbourhood less secure; implosion of Libya, failure of the EU Sahel Strategy, terrorism and criminal gangs, effects of climate change and population explosion. Nigeria did not create these challenges and was equally contending with its own domestic issue as these challenges escalated. Nigeria was not part of Operation Barkhane or the G5 in the Sahel, which were intended as efforts to fight terrorism and irregular migration but instead strengthened some irridentist Azawad/Tuareg groups that controlled border areas. This created a cauldron of disharmony between them and their national militaries, trained for a lifetime to keep their countries intact.

Nor was Nigeria part of the Partnership Framework with Third countries that conditioned aid and trade deals for Sahelian migration transit states in exchange for reducing the flow of migrants, with penalties for those who do not comply. In the case of Niger, a moment of truth was the passing of Law 2015-36 in May 2015 when its government, in consultation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and technical and financial support from the European Union and its member states, criminalized ancillary activities of the migration economy, such as providing transportation and accommodation to foreign nationals anywhere north of Agadez, in direct contravention of ECOWAS Protocol on the free movement of people. They were persuaded to use a blunt hammer to crack a delicate nut. There is a highly politicised migration crisis in parts of Europe, that together we can and should resolve. But it was reckless to seek to solve one problem by creating another.

There is a reason why we have free movement in West Africa; seasonal migration- referred to in Hausa as ‘Ci Rani’. Seasonal migration in the semi-arid Sahel can be a matter of life and death, which is why we have always had turbaned Tuaregs going as far as Lagos and Port Harcourt to work as Maigadis (security) during the dry months, only to return back north during the rainy season. The weaponisation of sub-Saharan migration in Europe as a political tool led to the securitisation of the Sahel region, further exacerbating the security situation by forcing many of those affected to turn to criminal activities and terrorism. European migration figures show majority of migrants are from Syria, Afghanistan and Central Asia, not sub-Saharan Africa.

Yes, we need to work with our Sahelian neighbours to fight terrorism, by maintaining a right of pursuit into each others territories. But it would be myopic to think of this in absolutist terms, because we can accede to all conditionalities laid by them, it would still not be enough to tackle the challenges without a lasting solution to the bifurcated Libyan State as a source of weapons, training and fighters, as well as the shadowy involvement of a range of other state and non-state actors.

To achieve a lasting peace in Libya and the Sahel, Nigeria needs to deal with all the countries in the neighbourhood as well as all the major powers. For this reason, it does not make sense to simply deduce that Nigeria has to distance itself from France because that is the prevailing trend in its former colonies. The fulcrum of the Tinubu administration’s foreign policy is Strategic Autonomy, providing us with the clarity to engage with any and all nations based on our national interests and not those of others. As a nation, Nigeria is adult enough and sophisticated enough to deal with countries without being unduly influenced, because that has been part of our historical and civic tradition. You cannot cure an illness by picking which symptoms to consider and which to ignore.

Nigeria and ECOWAS will continue diplomatic efforts towards Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso. At a minimum, we have shared interest in peaceful co-existence. President Tinubu has sent a number of high-level delegations that included a former Head of State, traditional rulers and religious scholars. President Tinubu pushed for the unconditional removal of ECOWAS sanctions imposed on Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso. What he has consistently asked of the countries in question is for them to come up with a timetable for the restoration of constitutional rule and, in the case of Niger, the release of ousted President Bazoum.

Their response was to declare their intention to leave ECOWAS. With the one-year notice period coming to an end in January 2025, President Tinubu further pushed for ECOWAS to extend the grace period for another six months whilst intensifying diplomatic efforts. The response to this initiative last month was evidence-free allegations that Nigeria was harbouring foreign soldiers and as sponsoring state terrorism. Whenever President Tinubu and other democratic leaders offer stoic statesmanship and an opportunity to work together towards our common interests, it is met by confected controversy designed to divert and distract from a failure to meet the basic responsibilities of public administration. I know why coup leaders might seek to do that: it’s harder to understand the motives of apologists closer to home.

On my part, since assuming the office of Minister of Foreign Affairs on 21st August 2023, I have engaged diplomatically without pause, proposing personal visits and inviting senior government officials and representatives. Response has been akin to a diplomatic cold shoulder. We constituted a ministerial advisory committee that visited Niger and Mali and facilitated the visit of the Nigerian CDS to meet with his counterpart in Niamey. I regret that a proposed return visit was suspended by Niger after a date had been set. But let there be no doubt: we will continue to pursue diplomatic efforts assiduously, with a Ministry of Foreign Affairs that has existed for 67 years.

Nigeria’s principle of strategic autonomy is one that abhors the presence of foreign forces and private military companies in our region, whether from east or west. Nigeria presently has troops on peace keeping operations in Guinea Bissau and Gambia, with Sierra Leone on the way, where it is also supporting the setting up of a logistics base in Lungi. Nigeria is also leading the actualisation of the ECOWAS standby force, all in an effort to fight terrorism and instability within our region under the rule of law. We work closely with our partners on sharing of intelligence in order to guarantee the same rights and freedoms are enjoyed by all the people of the region.

As several of my colleagues in the region remind me, we are the hegemon, whether we admit it or not. And global politics works almost like physics, with polarity, ordering principles, distribution of power, balancing, etc. Nigeria has never had expansionist tendencies, never been threatening towards our neighbours and always chosen the path of peace and conciliation. This in part may have to do with the makeup of our polity and social fabric. Being such a huge country, we are used to the virtues of principled compromise. It is not by accident that we are the only country on the continent with six former leaders living in peace and harmony within our borders. Diversity, not division, is our strength. This is as true for Nigeria as it is for the smallest of countries – and collectively for all of our region.

FOREIGN POLICY AND THE PATH TO PEACE IN A DANGEROUS NEIGHBOURHOOD

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Gates Foundation Promises Continued Committed to Revitalization of Public Healthcare In Nigeria

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8 hours ago

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December 13, 2025

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Gates Foundation Promises Continued Committed to Revitalization of Public Healthcare In Nigeria

By: Michael Mike

The Gates Foundation has expressed its full commitment to the development of Primary Healthcare Centres (PHC) in the country.

The commitment was expressed by The Deputy Director, Health Systems Strengthening at Gates Foundation Nigeria,
Dr. Nkata Chuku, during the PHC Leadership Challenge in Abuja, put together by the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), Gates Foundation and other development partners.

Chuku said the Foundation remains fully aligned with the government of Nigeria’s determination to revitalize primary health care.

The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and development partners, including UNICEF and the World Health Organisation (WHO) supported the event.

He also noted that the 2025 performance landscape emerging from national surveys, high-frequency monitoring, and administrative data shows both progress and gaps in the country’s health systems.

According to him, routine immunization continues its upward trajectory, with national percentage coverage now in the high-60s, and several states crossing 75%, compared to the low-60s in 2022.

He said between July 2024 and October 2025, more than 500,000 previously zero-dose children were reached with vaccines through house-to-house outreach and targeted immunization activities.

Chuku said this represents about 24% of the estimated 2.1 million zero-dose children nationwide, reflecting significant progress through integrated campaigns including the October 2025 polio–routine immunization drive.

According to him, there is a notable decline in cVPV2 cases, dropping from triple-digit cases in 2022–2023 to fewer than 50 confirmed cases in the last 12 months and a significant closure of immunity gaps in historically weak LGAs.

About the PHC Challenge, Chuku said: “The PHC Challenge Fund is designed to accelerate precisely this type of progress. The Gates Foundation has invested $27 million, with 70% dedicated to performance awards over the past four years to fund this initiative as proof of concept.

“The current award structure of one national winner and additional awards for the best and second runners up states across all six geopolitical zones is intentional. It reflects your stated preference for peer accountability and healthy competition, recognizing that states within the same zone often face similar health-system realities.

“Over the past three years: UNICEF, NPHCDA, and the NGF Secretariat have worked closely with Commissioners, SPHCDA Executive Secretaries, and Governors to continuously refine and track a lean but powerful set of indicators to measure the health of the PHC system across the 36+1 states.

He said: “These indicators focus on areas where state leadership is decisive: political leadership, community empowerment, financial resource allocation, quality of care, monitoring and evaluation, sustainable PHC financing. These system inputs are critical for driving impact across routine immunization, MNCH, malaria, and nutrition.”

He also said the ongoing PHC revitalization agenda has renewed political commitment at state level, adding that more states now have dedicated PHC budget lines and are expanding health insurance enrolment while the integrated polio–RI campaign offers a unified delivery platform to rapidly close immunity gaps.

According to him, development partners have signalled interest in expanding the pool of incentives for high-performing states.

The minister of health, Muhammad Ali Pate, during the occasion lauded Gates Foundation for their investment in PHC revitalisation in the country.

He said government have been intervening to lower the cost of drugs, cost of medical treatment, child health insurance and would still increase the budget for health.

Pate said: “ If we are going to see good health, it is an investment. We cannot expect good health at a very low price. Someone has invested, and here, who is going to be in charge is going to have to invest in health. And investing in health has several multilayers. First, it is a good investment not only for the present and also for the future of the country.

“So, we need to not only invest in health but also see the health system and the environment as a whole. So, government has been intervening to lower the cost of drugs, cost of medical treatment, child health insurance, but it is not going to be able to succeed just like that already.”

During the award ceremony, Yobe State emerged the overall winner of the PHC Leadership Challenge, outperforming other states in an independently verified assessment and wining the total sum of $1.2m.

The assessment measures governance, financing, service delivery and accountability within PHC systems.

The annual challenge, which rewards measurable improvements in state-level PHC performance, aims to strengthen accountability, peer learning and sustained political commitment to PHC reforms across Nigeria

Gates Foundation Promises Continued Committed to Revitalization of Public Healthcare In Nigeria

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Foundation donates food to 500 women in Abuja

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8 hours ago

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December 13, 2025

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Foundation donates food to 500 women in Abuja

By: Michael Mike

Walkiya Humanitarian Foundation has stepped in to provide relief for vulnerable residents of the Federal Capital Territory, distributing food items to 500 women in the Jikwoyi area of Karu, Abuja.

The outreach, which took place on Saturday, formed part of the foundation’s annual humanitarian intervention aimed at cushioning the effects of rising food costs and helping households struggling to meet basic nutritional needs.

Addressing beneficiaries at the event, the Executive Director of the foundation, Dr. Dominic Egwuda, explained that the initiative was designed to reach individuals facing immediate food insecurity, particularly women who often shoulder the responsibility of feeding their families.

He explained that the food distribution exercise is part of the corporate social responsibility of the Walkiya Group of Companies, implemented through the Walkiya Humanitarian Foundation to support vulnerable citizens amid economic hardship.

He said: “This is a part of our social corporate responsibility of Walkiya Group of Company, which we operate under the umbrella of Walkiya Humanitarian Foundation.”

Egwuda stressed that beneficiaries were carefully selected across religious, ethnic and social lines, with the sole criterion being the inability to afford basic meals, in order to ensure inclusiveness and fairness.

“We needed people who cannot afford their next meal,people we have carefully selected from all cross of lives, Christian, Muslim, different tribes.”

He noted that women were prioritised because they bear the greatest burden of hunger within families, adding that empowering women directly has a wider societal impact.

“A woman is the one that bears the brunt of hunger in the family. And in doing this, if you empower a woman, you empower a nation.”

Egwuda further explained that the programme follows a transparent card-based selection process, excludes staff and their relatives, and is fully funded by the Walkiya Group of Companies, without government sponsorship.

“I don’t think any of our staff have anybody here because we stopped them ,we are not in partnership with any government. It is a welfare group of company that sponsored this program.”

He called on government to prioritise the welfare of the less privileged and to create an enabling framework that encourages more corporate organisations to invest in social responsibility initiatives.

“The government should look into the less privileged, create an enabling environment for people to do more social corporate responsibility.”

Egwuda disclosed that the food distribution exercise, which took about six months of planning and expanded from an initial target of 200 beneficiaries to 500, was valued at approximately four to five million naira.

“Estimatingly, we spent about four to five million naira to make sure that this thing goes round.”

Some of the beneficiaries described the gesture as timely and impactful. Janet Kalu said the food items would provide much-needed support for her household, especially during the festive period.

“This support came at the right time for my family, especially now that prices of food items are very high. The food we received will really help us during this festive period,” she said.

Another beneficiary, Amaka Emmanuel, expressed appreciation to the foundation, noting that the assistance would reduce the burden of providing daily meals for her family.

“I am very grateful to the foundation for this kind gesture. The food items will go a long way in supporting my family and easing our daily struggles,” she said.

She also offered prayers for the donors, asking for divine reward and replenishment of their resources.

“May God Almighty bless the people who made this possible and replenish whatever they have spent. I pray that God will reward them abundantly,” she added.

The foundation, in a message to stakeholders, called on government and the private sector to strengthen collaboration in addressing hunger and social welfare challenges.

“With stronger partnerships between government and corporate organisations, we can reach more vulnerable people and significantly reduce hunger and hardship in our communities,” the foundation stated.

Foundation donates food to 500 women in Abuja

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VP SHETTIMA AT EXECUTIVE COURSE 47 GRADUATION: President Tinubu Poised To Remodel NIPSS Into Digitally Driven, Global Centre Of Excellence

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December 13, 2025

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VP SHETTIMA AT EXECUTIVE COURSE 47 GRADUATION: President Tinubu Poised To Remodel NIPSS Into Digitally Driven, Global Centre Of Excellence

  • Says institute’s research outputs will be fully integrated into national decision making, execution frameworks

By: Our Reporter

The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, has reaffirmed the resolve of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to remodel the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) into a globally recognised centre of excellence that is digitally driven and financially stable by 2030.

According to him, apart from serving as the most strategic platform for developing thinkers, reformers, and innovators in Nigeria, the institute’s Senior Executive Course represents a deliberate investment in the nation’s future leadership as well as a meeting point for ideas that define policy, guide reform, and influence the course of national development.

Senator Shettima stated this on Saturday when he represented President Tinubu at the Graduation Ceremony of Senior Executive Course 47 of NIPSS in Kuru, Plateau State.

“His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has been unequivocal in his commitment to supporting NIPSS in its transformation agenda, particularly its ambition to become a digitally driven, financially stable, and globally recognised centre of excellence by 2030.

“We recognise the Institute’s critical role in shaping national policy and in building the leadership capacity required to navigate an increasingly complex world,” he declared.

The Vice President noted that the support the Tinubu administration is giving to transform the institute exceeds funding, infrastructure and conducive research environment.

He said, “Our support must therefore go beyond funding, infrastructure, and a conducive research environment. It must ensure that NIPSS produces implementation ready policy papers and that its outputs are fully integrated into national decision making and execution frameworks.”

VP Shettima applauded the theme of the Senior Executive Course 47, “Blue Economy and Sustainable Development in Nigeria,” saying it is a reflection of the urgency with remarkable clarity, and “captures the reality that development, security, environmental stewardship, and social inclusion are inseparable.”

He however observed that the strength of the academic work does not depend only on its academic depth, “but in its insistence that policy must be practical, implementable, and firmly grounded in Nigeria’s realities.”

Commending the graduands, the VP said “We are grateful for your sustained and rigorous enquiries into the affairs of the maritime domain, enquiries that continue to provide the nation with insights it depends upon.

“Your latest research makes it clear that securing Nigeria’s waterways, coastlines, and inland communities goes far beyond safety alone. It speaks to livelihoods, food security, environmental protection, and national cohesion. When young people have productive work, when communities trust the state, and when institutions coordinate effectively, insecurity loses its oxygen.”

Assuring that the Tinubu administration takes evidence based policymaking very seriously, the Vice President said he had already directed relevant ministries, departments, and agencies to give the report and recommendations of the graduands the close attention they deserve, both for immediate application and for long term strategic planning.”

He thanked the Director General, Prof. Ayo Omotayo, the management and staff of NIPSS, for what he described as their dedication, professionalism, and unflicnhing commitment, which he said has continued “to uphold NIPSS as the nation’s foremost centre for strategic thought and leadership development.”

The VP also hailed Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang and people of the state for continuing to support NIPSS by sustaining the peaceful environment that has enabled the “Institute to function as a true national asset.”

Earlier, Governor Mutfwang applauded the Federal Government’s support to the institute, particularly in facilitating the hitch-free completion of its academic programmes as well as the execution of its other strategic projects and mandate.

Underscoring the importance of academic programmes at the institution, Governor Mutfwang noted that Nigeria stands to benefit immensely from the research output of the institution, particularly in broadening governance perspective and making valuable recommendations in addressing security across the country.

On his part, Chairman of the NIPSS Board, Senator Ken Nnamani, said the pathways to addressing some of the nation’s challenges can be found in the research reports of research institutions across the country, urging authorities at the national and subnational levels to adopt products of the institute.

While charging members of the SEC 47 to be worthy ambassadors of the institution, Senator Nnamani expressed confidence in the commitment of the Tinubu administration to continue to support research endeavours at NIPSS, and implement key research findings of academic institutions across the country, including NIPSS.

In his welcome address, the Director General of NIPSS, Prof. Omotayo, said the Vice President’s presence at the SEC 47 graduation ceremony underscores the Federal Government’s recognition of the institute as the premier research institute for the advancement of Nigeria’s policy and governance framework.

Reeling out some of the institute’s achievements anchored on its 5-year strategic plan, Prof. Omotayo said NIPSS has completed key institutional research endeavours in collaboration with international partners in key areas, including crisis anticipation and adaptive governance.

The DG said with the achievements, NIPSS has established itself as the premier institute for policy research aimed at rebuilding public trust and addressing emerging societal challenges.

In a goodwill message, the President of the NIPSS Alumni (AANI), Amb. Emmanuel Okafor, thanked the Vice President for his relentless support to the institute and acknowledged all of the transformative projects executed under the present management of the institute.

On his part, the Monitor-General of the Course 47, Col. Muhktar Sani Daroda, said the rigour and intensity of the programme has shaped and prepared the course participants for tasks across different sectors, even as he pledged their rededicated commitment and service to the nation.

Highpoint of the occasion was the formal presentation of certificates to the graduands by the Vice President and their induction into the Alumni Association of the National Institute (AANI).

Earlier on arrival at the institute, the Vice President inaugurated 4 units of 2-bedroom apartment built and donated to the institute by the SEC 47 participants.

Meanwhile, Senator Shettima has held an interaction with strawberry farmers in Plateau State, in furtherance to efforts by the Federal Government to support the production of fruits in the state.

He said the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remains committed to transforming all segments of Nigeria’s agricultural value chain.

VP SHETTIMA AT EXECUTIVE COURSE 47 GRADUATION: President Tinubu Poised To Remodel NIPSS Into Digitally Driven, Global Centre Of Excellence

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