Percy Onyeka
The Federal Government said plans are on the way to reform the Foreign Affairs Ministry and reintroduce undersecretaries to enable it to achieve the set foreign policy agenda under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, stated this in his lecture on “The Foreign Policy Agenda under the Tinubu Administration” at the annual lecture of the Association of Retired Career Ambassadors of Nigeria Foreign Policy on Thursday in Abuja.
Tuggar said Tinubu’s 4Ds foreign policy (Democracy, Diaspora, Demography and Development) could be attained in a technology-driven foreign affairs ministry with appropriate bureaucracy.
He said, “None of these (4Ds) will be possible without reforming our workplace- the ministry- into a technology-driven environment with the right bureaucracy to achieve our smart objectives.
“The reform is already in place and we are improving the working terms and conditions of the ministry’s staff.
“We also intend to bring back the system of undersecretaries in the New Year, with the return of several senior ambassadors.”
The minister added that Nigeria’s foreign policy objectives still exist and are entailed in the country’s constitution.
“With regards to Nigeria’s foreign policy objectives, they exist and remain immovable because they are enshrined in our constitution.
“They are: to promote and protect Nigeria’s national interest, to promote African integration and support African unity, promote international co-operation for the consolidation of universal peace and mutual respect among all nations and elimination of discrimination in all its manifestations.
“The Renewed Hope Agenda that catalogued President Bola Tinubu’s promises to Nigerians during the Presidential campaign further elucidated three objectives: to protect against all forms of external aggression; promote the best possible outcomes for Nigeria in all engagements with other nations; improve Nigeria’s standing and dignity among the comity of nations,” he said.
In his remarks, the President ARCAN, Amb. John Shinkaiye, stated that the formulation and execution of the foreign policy of the country is crucial as decisions made in this aspect of the Nation’s governance have far reaching implications for Nigeria, the West Africa region, the African continent, and even beyond.
“It is important therefore that the new government sets appropriate priorities and strategies and identify potential challenges that the government may face.
“It is recognised that Nigeria’s foreign policy will be shaped by, among other things, a combination of domestic factors and imperatives, regional dynamics and global realities.
“Understanding how these factors can affect the country’s position on many key issues, including security, economic cooperation, relations with other countries and the international community at large, is very important to the success of the Tinubu administration,” Shinkaiye advised.
He also said ARCAN was also disposed to exchange views with other arms of government with interest in the implementation of the nation’s foreign policy.
