National Interest and Nigerian Foreign Policy: Problems and Prospects

Resumen

Foreign and domestic policy issues are related products of the same political system and are designed to define and implement overall national purposes. Foreign and domestic policy must be mutually supporting if national policy aspirations are to be achieved in an atmosphere of political stability. This article is designed to examine Nigeria’s national interest and her foreign policy thrust, its problems and prospects. The grand theory or realist approach was used as theoretical framework. The paper took a historical journey into Nigeria’s foreign policy since independence. It analytically examined the contradictions that are firmly fixed in the country’s foreign policy and their fundamental link to her national interest or image-building. It reveals that Nigeria’s foreign policy over the years has been greatly sabotaged by succeeding governments. It observes that the Nigerian has not really been made the main focus of our policy, rather designed for the powerful elitist circles and African-centered. It sees corruption and internal political crisis as negatively affecting our foreign policy. It recommends that our foreign policy must be redirected towards our national security and welfare as well as encompasses economic, cultural technical and scientific cooperation with countries in the international arena.