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Right of Reply: Re-Yusuf Tuggar’s Strategic Autonomy and Nigeria’s Non-Alignment Policy, Beyond the Dangerous Neighbourhood

Right of Reply: Re-Yusuf Tuggar’s Strategic Autonomy and Nigeria’s Non-Alignment Policy, Beyond the Dangerous Neighbourhood
Oladimeji Badmus
It’s good to see the Minister’s article on Nigeria’s foreign policy and its implementation has sparked a round of intellectual debate. Bola A. Akinterinwa article titled Re-Yusuf Tuggar’s Strategic Autonomy and Nigeria’s Non-Alignment Policy beyond the dangerous neighborhood published in the ThisDay Newspaper of 12th January 3025, is a healthy and enriching contribution.
That said, it’s important to stick to facts and attribute statements to those participating in this much needed discourse the way they said it and fairly. The Minister mentioned Strategic Autonomy as the fulcrum of the Tinubu Administration’s agenda, not as a sixth foreign policy objective for Nigeria. Nowhere in his article did he try to amend the Constitution and ascribe it an additional foreign policy objective. What Akinterinwa has done here is to use casuistry to turn epistemology (Strategic Autonomy, Democracy Demography and Diaspora, etc) into Ontology (the five foreign policy objectives of Nigeria stated in the Constitution).
These are two different things. Akinterinwa should have instead listed Strategic Autonomy along with Bolaji Akinyemi’s Consultation Doctrine, Gambari’s Concentricism and Olu Adeniji’s Constructive and Beneficial Concentricism.
Strategic Autonomy is the 21st Century version of Balewa’s non-alignment. If non-alignment was never mistaken to be a foreign policy objective, how can Strategic Autonomy be deemed to be one?
The executive arm of government is responsible for implementing agenda to achieve the foreign policy objectives, not to question the said objectives government officials, both political appointees and civil servants are sworn to protecting and abiding by the requirements of the Constitution. They do not have the luxury to pick and choose what parts of the Constitution are right or wrong as Akinterinwa’s article seems to regress into. He even appears to romanticize the irredentist notions of IPOB and Oodua groups and justifies it as the right to self-determination. One may then ask, how well are South Sudan and Somali Land fairing (two recent examples of irredentist movements that achieved statehood)?
There is a process for amending Nigeria’s constitution, which requires support of the two chambers of the National Assembly and two thirds of the state houses of assembly. We Nigerians expect the foreign minister to focus on actualizing our foreign policy objectives and abiding by the constitution and not pursue amendment to please irredentist movements or neighbouring countries. The Constitution may have got it wrong by mentioning the protection of national interest and respect for international law as objectives instead of an act, but so it remain until it is amended. We should not expect an administration or its foreign Minister with a four year term to focus on such pedantic hair-splitting. Their focus should be on what they swore to uphold.
Akinterinwa argues that distancing ourselves from France because some of our neighbors do not get along with her would help African integration. This is a simplistic view of complex global politics. We must not take a manichaean view of our relationships with other countries. It is not a Cowboy movie where all the good guys wear white hats and the bad guys black ones. As an intellectual, I would have expected Akinterinwa to unpack the contents of Nigeria’s relationship with France. It is presently I-Dice through which thousands of young Nigerians are to be trained in digital technology.
It is Investments in renewable energy to provide electricity. It is also in getting the support of France to become a member of the G20 and a permanent seat in the UN Security Council, where Nigeria’s big voice will help actualise the very same African integration and also assist more deliberate developmental support for the likes of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
And in terms of working with our neighbors towards a more secure neighborhood, I believe the Minister mentioned in his article that working with sahelian countries alone will not fix the security challenges without fixing Libya. You cannot fix Libya without working with the very same major powers including France that created the problem in the first place. Engaging with France based on the above is not tantamount with being bellicose towards our neighbors. And what happens tomorrow if there is another coup in Niger and the new government says they have kissed and made up with France? Would Akinterinwa then expect the Nigerian government to immediately pivot and start being friendly with France because Niger’s leadership says it’s ok? This would be the tail wagging the dog, Niger leading Nigeria.
Oladimeji Badmus is the Convener of Mwalimu Peers a Pan African International Affairs Think-Tank
Right of Reply: Re-Yusuf Tuggar’s Strategic Autonomy and Nigeria’s Non-Alignment Policy, Beyond the Dangerous Neighbourhood
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RHI Presents Food Items to Vulnerable Groups in Yobe State

RHI Presents Food Items to Vulnerable Groups in Yobe State
…Making it the 20th State to Benefit from the Support
By: Our Reporter
The Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) Food Outreach Program, launched in Abuja in March 2024 to provide monthly support to vulnerable groups and persons with disabilities, has reached Yobe State—making it the 20th state to benefit from the initiative.
Since its inception, the program has covered Abia, Adamawa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Oyo, Plateau, and Sokoto States before arriving in Yobe.
With generous support from the Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative (ASR Africa) and another industrialist who prefers to remain anonymous, assorted food items were delivered, bringing relief to many households, particularly those with disabilities.
The First Lady and Chairman of the Renewed Hope Initiative, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, noted that donors provide two truckloads of food items to each beneficiary state for onward distribution. Represented by the Wife of the Vice President, Hajiya Nana Shettima, she highlighted Yobe as a major beneficiary of RHI programs and interventions.
These include:

- The Tony Elumelu Foundation Women Economists Empowerment Program, which supported 500 women with ₦50,000 each.
- The RHI Women Agricultural Support Scheme, where 20 women received ₦500,000 each.
- A ₦68.9 million grant from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to the Young Farmers Club.
- Annual financial support to senior citizens, with 100 beneficiaries receiving ₦100,000 each in 2023 and 250 beneficiaries receiving ₦200,000 each.
- A ₦50 million financial grant to 1,000 petty traders.
- The Women in ICT Program, aimed at empowering women in the digital economy.
According to Senator Tinubu, these interventions are designed to complement the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni represented by his Deputy Governor, Alhaji Idi Barde Gubana reaffirmed his government’s commitment to the initiative, noting that the state has aligned with RHI through various empowerment programs for women, children, and vulnerable groups. These include the distribution of household items, skill acquisition schemes, and post-insurgency recovery programs that have economically empowered many women.
The State Coordinator of RHI and Wife of the Yobe State Governor, Hajiya Hafsat Kollere Buni, expressed gratitude to the First Lady for extending such impactful support to Yobe State. She also looked forward to stronger collaborations to further project the ideals of RHI and improve the lives of the people.
Also present at the event was Dr. Ubong Udoh, Managing Director of the Abdul Samad Rabiu Africa Initiative, one of the key donors to the program.- RHI Presents Food Items to Vulnerable Groups in Yobe State


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Monguno says lack of national cohesion fuels insurgency

Monguno says lack of national cohesion fuels insurgency
By: Zagazola Makama
Former National Security Adviser, Maj.-Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd.), has warned that Nigeria’s fight against insurgency will remain elusive without national cohesion and a united front across society.
Monguno stated this in Abuja on Thursday at the launch of Scars: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum, a new book authored by former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor (rtd.).
He said Boko Haram and other violent groups had thrived by exploiting Nigeria’s divisions, stressing that disunity among citizens, political actors, and institutions weakened the country’s capacity to defeat terrorism.
“Without national cohesion, insurgency will not end. Terrorists feed on our fault lines – ethnic, religious, political – and they weaponise them against us. If we remain divided, no amount of military might will deliver lasting peace,” Monguno said.
He urged Nigerians to rise above parochial sentiments and embrace a spirit of patriotism, solidarity, and common purpose. According to him, the fight against insurgency must go beyond the battlefield to include reconciliation, justice, and inclusive governance.
The retired General emphasised that the scars left by Boko Haram were not just physical but also psychological and social, making unity a vital condition for national healing.
“The book reminds us that security is not just the work of soldiers. It is the responsibility of leaders, institutions, and citizens. Unless we build cohesion, insurgency will continue to mutate in different forms,” he added.
Monguno commended Gen. Irabor for documenting his experience, describing the work as a guide that combines history, strategy, and national lessons for the future.
The event was attended by former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, the Minister of Defence, service chiefs, traditional rulers, diplomats, and senior government officials.
Monguno says lack of national cohesion fuels insurgency
News
Kukah says military operations alone cannot end insurgency, stresses soft power approach

Kukah says military operations alone cannot end insurgency, stresses soft power approach
By: Zagazola Makama
The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, has said Nigeria cannot defeat insurgency through military operations alone, stressing the need to embrace soft power and address root causes of insecurity.
Kukah made this known in Abuja on Thursday while reviewing Scars: Nigeria’s Journey and the Boko Haram Conundrum, a new book authored by former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor (rtd.).
He said the country’s reliance on military doctrines and repeated counter-insurgency operations had failed to produce lasting peace because Boko Haram represented an ideology, not just an armed threat.
“For years, we have had Operation Lafiya Dole, Operation Restore Order, Operation Hadin Kai, Operation Safe Haven, and many others. Yet, when one operation fails, another is launched. These operations have not ended the insurgency because you cannot fight an idea with weapons alone,” Kukah said.
The cleric argued that describing the insurgency only in military terms forecloses other sources of information and non-kinetic solutions that are critical to peacebuilding.
According to him, Boko Haram’s struggle is framed as a jihad, and many of its fighters see death as martyrdom, making them indifferent to conventional deterrence.
“The challenge before us is not merely about defeating insurgents on the battlefield, but about understanding the soft issues of life and death. Guns cannot build peace; soft power must complement military power,” he said.
Kukah pointed to chapters 11, 12 and 13 of Irabor’s book, which emphasise reconciliation, good governance, justice, and national healing as critical conditions for security.
He praised the author’s reflections for going beyond military strategy, describing them as “the writings of a priest” that call for dialogue, reforms and moral renewal.
The bishop added that Nigeria must prioritise structural reforms, political inclusion, patriotism, and judicial integrity to tackle grievances that feed extremism.
“The urgency now is to invest in soft power – in human development, reconciliation, and building trust in institutions. Military operations can only create space; it is ideas and justice that will sustain peace,” Kukah said.
The event attracted former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, senior government officials, service chiefs, diplomats, and other dignitaries.
End
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