National News
Tuggar: Nigeria’s Foreign Policy Needs to be Dynamic, Protect National Interest

Tuggar: Nigeria’s Foreign Policy Needs to be Dynamic, Protect National Interest
By: Michael Mike
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar has said current happening on the globe has called for a review of Nigeria’s foreign policy, demanding its dynamism, and ensure the protection of our national interest.
He insisted that diplomacy should take the lead over war, urging leaders worldwide to encourage dialogue for conflict resolution over the money draining, blood spilling war.
Delivering a speech on Thursday at the Inaugural Session of the Agora Policy Forum with the theme: “Nigeria’s Foreign Policy at a Time of Global Uncertainty,” said: “We are gathered here at a time when the international order is undergoing significant transformation. Geopolitical tensions, economic realignments, daily tariffs and trade wars, security threats, climate change, and technological disruptions are reshaping the global landscape in ways that demand strategic recalibration from all nations. Traditional assumptions about democracy and markets are being questioned by state and non-state actors.”
He noted that: “As Africa’s most populous country and a key economic and diplomatic actor, Nigeria must protect and promote our values and commitment to democratic freedoms and the celebration of diversity, as we navigate these new complexities with foresight, pragmatism, and resilience.”
Tuggar said: “The post-Cold War consensus that shaped global governance for the past three decades is increasingly fracturing. The resurgence of great power competition, the fragmentation of multilateralism, and the proliferation of regional conflicts have created a more unpredictable world than ever in our post-independence history.
“The war in Ukraine has reshaped energy markets, disrupted supply chains, and exacerbated food insecurity, particularly for developing economies like ours.
“Conflict in Sudan and the Sahel has illustrated the limits of the old rules-based order, as new state and non-state actors flex influence in areas of chronic instability.
- The global economy is experiencing persistent inflationary pressures, debt crises in emerging markets, and a reconfiguration of trade partnerships.
“The rise of new technologies, from artificial intelligence to digital currencies, introduces opportunities and challenges for economic governance and national security.
“Climate change continues to pose an existential threat, with Africa disproportionately affected, despite contributing the least to global emissions.
“In this context, Nigeria’s foreign policy must be dynamic. It must ensure that our national interests are protected while we remain a responsible and engaged member of the international community. And above all, foreign policy must be efficient. If diplomacy is war by other means, the terrible costs of conflict must at least partially be a measure of diplomatic failure.”
He stressed that: “We should invest in capacity and exhaust all available avenues, because the alternatives are much worse. In that sense, the triumph of diplomacy should be measured as much by what we do not see, what we can avoid, and what we do see. To take examples from our history: we still reference – and rightly so – the sacrifice Nigeria made in Liberia and Sierra Leone in the 1990s, but not so much the efforts, through public diplomacy, back channels, direct engagement, third-party involvement, the balancing of principle with practical detail – all tricks in the diplomatic toolbox – that led to the transfer of power in Gambia without a drop of blood spilt.”
He insisted that: “Tragedies avoided are more easily forgotten than sacrifices made. For this reason, with defence budgets escalating around the world, we need to be reminded, even in a transactional world, that diplomacy should take the lead. It is always better to talk. We do not always deliver perfect outcomes, especially where those areas of common interest and good faith are narrow, where one side may face particular local pressures that trump what partnership might deliver. Realistic outcomes are shaped by realistic expectations.”
The minister decried that: “We see the existing order deconstructing. It was an order that did not present a level playing field for Nigeria and Africa, in terms of access to financing and markets and the tools to facilitate peace, prosperity and opportunity. As that order breaks down, what follows is much less clear.
It is our responsibility, as the region’s key power, to be a voice for Africa – to play our part in helping create a modern and dynamic order that reflects our national and shared interests.
“And that responsibility is fundamentally diplomatic: securitisation shifts thinking from strategic to tactical, to a reduction in the space for dialogue, compromise and manoeuvre. Security more than ever tilts towards hardware and technology.
“Diplomacy at its best is a very human process of interaction. Of course, a strong defence capability and the unspoken jeopardy it carries can be significant assets in negotiation, and there are moments when diplomatic routes have failed that the national interest must be defended by force. But sequencing is everything. Lives and livelihoods depend on it.”
He added that: “Nigeria’s foreign policy has traditionally been anchored on Africa as the centerpiece, supported by non-alignment, economic diplomacy, and global multilateralism. While these principles remain relevant, they must evolve to reflect the realities of our time.”
Tuggar noted that: “A nation’s foreign policy is only as firm as the intellectual and strategic framework that underpins it. This is why fora such as the Agora Policy Roundtable are invaluable. Policymakers, scholars, and industry leaders must collaborate to provide thought leadership that informs our diplomatic choices.
“Nigeria must remain proactive, adaptive, and innovative in its foreign engagements as it navigates global uncertainty. Evidence-based policymaking, a long-term vision, and a commitment to national and continental advancement must underpin our strategy.”
He insisted that: “Nigeria’s foreign policy during a time of global uncertainty is not merely about responding to external pressures but also about shaping our destiny within the international order. It is about ensuring that our economy is resilient, our security is safeguarded, and our voice is amplified in global decision-making.”
Tuggar: Nigeria’s Foreign Policy Needs to be Dynamic, Protect National Interest
National News
Eid-el-Kabir: IPCR Calls on Nigerians to Peace, Harmony

Eid-el-Kabir: IPCR Calls on Nigerians to Peace, Harmony
By: Michael Mike
Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) has called on Nigerians to promote peace and harmony in their communities, recognizing that peace is essential to national development and progress.
The advice was given by the Director General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), Dr. Joseph Ochogwu, in his message on Eid-el-Kabir.
The Institute, while extending warm greetings to Nigerians, wished them a joyous and peaceful celebration, marked by love, compassion, and unity.
The Institute while noting that Sallah is a significant occasion in the Islamic calendar, symbolizing the values of sacrifice, gratitude, and community, emphasized that the spirit of Sallah should guide Nigerians in their interactions with one another, fostering a culture of peace, tolerance, and understanding.
The IPCR urged Nigerians to promote peace and harmony in their communities, recognizing that peace is essential to national development and progress, while
encouraging individuals to embrace the values of Sallah, including forgiveness, empathy, and kindness, in their daily lives.
According to IPCR, peace is critical to promoting national stability and cohesion.
The Institute also urged Nigerians to use this period of Sallah celebration to address conflicts and promote dialogue, which could help to build trust and understanding among Nigerians and also contribute to a more peaceful society.
It recognized that the country’s many ethnic and religious groups can work together to build a more harmonious society, celebrating their differences and promoting a culture of tolerance.
End
National News
Community Leader Seeks Tinubu’s Urgent Intervention in Incessant Plateau Killing

Community Leader Seeks Tinubu’s Urgent Intervention in Incessant Plateau Killing
By: Michael Mike
A community leader and the Waziri Mushere of Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State, Chief Yohana Margif has expressed dismay over the incessant killing of innocent citizens of the community.
Margif made this known in an interview with journalists on Thursday in Abuja.
He called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently intervene to halt what he described as genocide against the people, which he said was being perpetrated by suspected herdsmen.
Margif also called on Malam Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser, and other security chiefs in the country, to rein in the alleged culprits.
He said: “I would like to draw the attention of the topmost leadership in Nigeria to the deteriorating dire security situation in Plateau, particularly in Mushere Chiefdom of Bokkos LGA.
“I urge President Tinubu to take immediate decisive action to halt these endless and senseless killings, protect lives and properties, and secure the future of the Mushere people, and other victims of obvious genocide against the people.
“Herdsmen are killing our innocent people, burning their homes, looting their foodstuff, property, livestock, and taking over their ancestral lands,” he said.
According to the Abuja-based real estate mogul, the attacks and attendant killings have intensified recently since the onset of this year’s farming season.
Margif further said that the people had been displaced from their villages and ancestral homes and were forced to become internally displaced persons in the country.
He emphasised that the situation required immediate intervention by all stakeholders in order to prevent further escalation and inflict an irredeemable harm by wiping out the entire community from the surface of the earth.
He lamented that: “Since President Tinubu’s administration began, Plateau State has witnessed an unprecedented escalation of violence and loss of lives.
“This is the current sad reality. Our people are constantly under the threat of the enemy’s bullets and can’t sleep with two eyes closed due to the perpetual unleashing of violence against them by external forces.
“Something urgent must be done to stem the tide of violence and end this war against the people in order not to
harm this administration’s reputation,” Margif said.
In the past couple of days, suspected herdsmen militia killed no fewer than 35 people in the localities of Hokk, Pangkap, Fokoldep, Kopmur, Margif, Horop, Mbor, Mushere and Kwahas localities in Mushere Chiefdom.
Chairman, Bokkos Community Peace Observers, Kefas Mallai, who confirmed the killings to newsmen, said the victims included a 70-year-old Pastor of COCIN LCC Kwakas-Mushere, Mimang Lekyil, who was attacked and killed in the church.
He said that the pastor’s wife was also shot in the leg and was admitted at the Jos University Teaching Hospital for treatment, he said.
“Bokkos has never been this insecure, with the people being butchered as we are currently witnessing,” Lilian Madaki, from the Mushere community told journalists.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Emmanuel Adesina, also confirmed the incident in a statement saying security forces including police and military personnel, had been deployed in the affected communities.
Community Leader Seeks Tinubu’s Urgent Intervention in Incessant Plateau Killing
National News
VP Shettima Leads Mourners At Funeral Prayers For Late Prof. Jibril Aminu

VP Shettima Leads Mourners At Funeral Prayers For Late Prof. Jibril Aminu
** Says Nigeria has lost an intellectual giant
By: Our Reporter
Vice President Kashim Shettima today led other Muslim faithful for the Jana’iza (funeral prayers) of the late elder statesman, renowned medical scholar and former Minister of Education and Petroleum, Prof. Jibril Aminu, at the National Mosque in Abuja.

Prof. Aminu, a one-time President of the African Petroleum Producers’ Organisation (OPEC), passed on in Abuja on Thursday after a prolonged illness.
The Vice President, who arrived at the National Mosque at 1:52 pm, commiserated with the family of the deceased and prayed Allah to comfort them and make Aljanna Firdaus the final abode of the late elder statesman.

Noting that the late Prof Aminu’s demise is a great loss to the nation, VP Shettima described the late surgeon, educationist and administrator as a man who saw it all, just as he said the deceased was an intellectual giant who can hardly be replaced.
“It is a very sad loss. Prof Jubril Aminu was the last of the great titans, an iconic figure who enormously contributed to the development of the nation.
“He was variously the Executive Secretary of NUC, Vice Chancellor of the University of Maiduguri and Honourable Minister of various ministries across the country and left his landmarks on the sands of time.
“He is irreplaceable. May Allah grant him Aljanatul Firdaus and give the family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss. His loss is not just to the good people of Adamawa State but to the nation and Africa at large,” the Vice President prayed.

Born in Song, Adamawa in 1939, Prof. Aminu was a towering figure in Nigerian public life.
The late Consultant Cardiologist served the nation in different capacities, including as Federal Minister of Education and later Federal Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources (1989–1992), Ambassador of Nigeria to the United States (1999–2003), and Senator representing Adamawa Central (2003–2011).
He was also President of OPEC in 1991 and President of the OPEC Conference between 1991 and 1992 while he was Petroleum Minister.
Other mourners who joined the Vice President at the National Mosque in Abuja for the Jana’iza included former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; Special Adviser to the President on General Duties (Office of the Vice President), Dr. Aliyu Modibbo; former Secretary to the Federal Government, Yayale Ahmed; former Governor of Adamawa State, Admiral Murtala Nyako; former Governor of Gombe State, Senator Danjuma Goje; former Chief of Army Staff, General Tukur Buratai (rtd); former Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman; former Minister of State for Health, Dr. Aliyu Idi Hong, among many others.
VP Shettima Leads Mourners At Funeral Prayers For Late Prof. Jibril Aminu
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