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Аду Я.Н.
Кандидат юридических наук, доцент кафедры теории и истории международных отношений, Российский университет дружбы народов.
Нвалие Д.А.
Аспирант кафедры теории и истории международных отношений, Российский университет дружбы народов.
Африканская институциональная система: влияние институтов внешней политики Нигерии на африканские вопросы
Adu Y.N.
PhD in Law, Associate professor of the Department of Human and Social Sciences, Peoples' Friendship University of Russia.
Nwalie G.A.
Post-graduate student, Department of Theory and History of International Relations, Russian People's Friendship University.
African Institutional System:
the impact of the institutions
of Nigeria's foreign policy upon African Affairs
The Nigerian foreign policy institutions have tremendous impact on African affairs. However, the Nigerian foreign policy objectives and national interest centered on Africa make it highly inevitable for its institutional system to contribute hugely to African affairs. For instance, Nigeria started the conduct of its foreign policy in 1960 (the year it gained independence from Britain) under the late Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. Thus, since independence and with the establishment of the ministry of external relations, the Nigerian government has continued to engage in foreign relations and the making of foreign policy. The Presidency and the National Assembly are two crucial actors whose roles are spelled out in the Constitution. As stated in the Constitution, the Presidency is in charge
of the day-to-day responsibility for making policies, both domestic and foreign, while the National Assembly is empowered to make laws for governing the country in line with the country's domestic and external affairs. Moreover, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also charged with managing the country's external affairs.
Nigeria's Foreign Policy Institutions
Thus, since independence and with the establishment of the ministry of external relations, the Nigerian government has continued to engage in foreign relations and the making of foreign policy. The Presidency and the National Assembly are two crucial actors whose roles are spelled out in the Constitution.
As stated in the Constitution, the Presidency is in charge of the day-to-day responsibility for making policies, both domestic and foreign, while the National Assembly is empowered to make laws for governing the country in line with the country's domestic and external affairs. Moreover, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also charged with managing the country's external affairs.
It is imperative to note that the Nigeria National Assembly (Upper chamber) and the Nigeria House of Representatives (Lower chamber), also known as the Senate and the House of Representatives, respectively, are the only statutory organs that can raise a motion on the floors of their respective houses and ratify any issue of foreign relations. For emphasis, the Lower chamber makes laws and scrutinizes the work of the Executive arm of government, while the Upper chamber considers bills approved by the lower chamber and further enacts them into law. Nevertheless, both chambers together constitute the Parliament. Again, the National Assembly has the authority to tame international treaties and agreements signed by the country.
For instance, military intervention, treaty ratification, and other foreign policy-related issues can only be implemented by the Executive arm of government, which is also known as the Presidency, after the consent approval of the National Assembly.
According to Fawole A. the executive power embodied by the President is very powerful in executing and enforcing the law. The President directs and enforces the nation's affairs, including domestic and foreign affairs. The President's executive-legislative list functions include conducting foreign affairs, holding top-level diplomacy, negotiating and signing bilateral and multilateral treaties/agreements, receiving ambassadors / high commissioners, and attending meetings.
Despite the President being the commander in chief of the armed forc-
es, he cannot allocate the country's military resources for peace or war without the consent of the Senate.
Provided that the President, within seven days after the actual combat, must have requested the consent of the Senate, the Senate must give or refuse the specified consent within fourteen days (Constitution of the Federal Republic, 1999).
Despite the limitations of the President's authority, by the provisions of the Constitution, the President remains the highest authority and determining factor in the development of the country's policy.
Nigeria's Foreign Policy Making and Implementation
The three major institutions responsible for the formulation and implementation of Nigeria's foreign policy are The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), the Presidential Advisory Council on International Relations (PACIR), and the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (formerly known as the Ministry of External Affairs) is the statutory organ of the Nigerian government that is charged with the primary responsibility for the formulation, articulation, conduct, and execution of Nigeria's foreign policy, as well as management of the country's external relations. The Ministry started as a small unit in the External Affairs Division office of Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa, which was responsible for the conduct of foreign and Commonwealth Relations.
The ministry has been redistributed by Nigeria's foreign policy objectives and functions on its current mandate. There are also departments for bilateral and multilateral issues in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. For instance, the African bilateral affairs department oversees and regulates the activities of all 55 African countries in line with the foreign policy guidelines etc.
They are also allowed to represent the country in interministerial meetings organized by the ministry of foreign affairs, where they are briefed and presented with policy documents. In most cases, they deliberate and agree on the subject before representing the country abroad.
Presidential Advisory Council on International Relations. The Presidential Advisory Council on International Relations was established by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2001 and is made up of renowned Nigerian diplomats and experts whose main goal is to provide alternative policy options to the president.
Nigerian Institute of International Affairs. The Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) was established in 1961, but adopted in May 1963, its primary objectives are to encourage and facilitate understanding
of international relations on the circumstances, conditions, and relations of foreign countries and their peoples. Since its founding, the Institute has held conferences, roundtables and lectures. The institute's aims is resolving foreign policy issues and serves as an instrument of foreign policy formulation in Nigeria. It also serves as an intellectual base upon which decision-makers rely for informed opinion and expert advice to make rational choices between contending policy options.
Nigeria's Institutional Cooperation
Since independence, Nigeria's foreign policy has been characterized by a focus on Africa and, by extension, West African Institutions.
The Lake Chad Basin Commission. Nigeria's quest to cooperate, regulate and control utilization of the water and other natural resources in its subregion has necessitated the establishment of the Lake Chad Basin Commission. The commission was established by a convention and statute signed on 22 May 1964 by Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Nigeria, and later by the Central African Republic, Algeria, Libya, and Sudan. The goals and objectives of the commission are to regulate and control the utilization of water and other natural resources in the basin; to examine complaints and promote the settlement of disputes; to promote regional cooperation; and to initiate, promote and coordinate natural resource development projects and research within the basin area.
Following the 1999 inauguration of a civilian president, the Nigerian-Gulf of Guinea country's cooperation began to improve in the areas of regional economic cooperation and development.
The Gulf of Guinea Commission. President Olusegun Obasanjo, in conjunction with other African presidents residing in the Gulf of Guinea, signed a treaty for the establishment of the Gulf of Guinea Commission on 3 July 2001. The treaty is targeted to develop close and multifaceted cooperation among member states and to establish a relationship on a basis of mutual understanding, good neighborliness and strong bonds of friendship. This, among other factors, has been promoting and protecting the integrity and welfare of Nigeria and its neighbors within the context of unity and development. All of this was in tandem and consonance with Nigeria's first Prime Minister's ideas to commensurate with Nigeria's name and status 'messiah' of the continent.
ECOWAS. ECOWAS was created by the initiative of Nigerian and Togolese Presidents: Nigeria's former Head-of-State, General Yakubu Gowon (Retired) with the late Togolese President, Gnassingbe Eyade-ma, spearheaded the establishment of regional economic Organisation,
ECOWAS in order to concertedly managed the economic and political challenges in the West African region. Furthermore, Nigeria's leadership role in ECOWAS could be determined by its financial and institutional (Headquarter) contribution to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and its member states. Nigeria huge contribution to ECOWAS's can be traced to the ECOWAS Community levy agreement, which was adopted in 1996 by the Authority of Heads of State as the major funding for ECOWAS after the initial contribution regime seemed ineffective. The Community Levy Protocol took effect in 2003 when all member states started its application. For emphasis, the protocol stipulates that the taxable base shall be all goods originating from third countries (non-ECOWAS countries) imported into the community.
Conclusion
It is shown that Nigeria started the conduct of its foreign policy under the late Abubakar Tafawa Balewa. Since Nigeria attained independence, the successive Nigerian Presidents have shown much commitment towards promoting African affairs.Nigerian foreign policy is rooted in the bilateral and multilateral relations in West Africa and beyond. The study asserted that Nigeria's foreign policy focuses on Africa and builds on West African institutions, like the Lake Chad Basin Commission, the Gulf of Guinea Commission and ECOWAS. Nigerian involvement in West African institutions has contributed to good neighborliness and strong bonds of friendship in West Africa and beyond.
Библиографический список / References
1. Agreement Establishing the Lake Chad Basin Commission // UN // URL: https://www.adap-tation-undp.org/partners/lake-chad-basin-commission-lcbc. (Дата обращения: 04.11.2022).
2. Claude S.P. The Development of Nigerian Foreign Policy // The Journal of Modern African Studie.1964. № 2 (3). P. 456-457. doi:10.1017/S0022278X0000450X
3. Fawole A. Nigeria's External Relations and Foreign Policy under Military Rule, 1966 - 1999, 2003.
4. Federation of Nigeria. House of Representatives Debates. September 4, 1961. Col. 2813.
5. Nigeria Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Great Nation, United in Diversity // MFA // URL: http://www.nigeria-consulate-frankfurt.de/English/MFA-Nigeria/mfa-nigeria.html. (Дата обращения: 04.11.2022).
6. Nigerian Institute of International Affairs // Nigerian Institute of International Affairs // URL: http://www.niianet.org. (Дата обращения: 04.11.2022).
7. Nigeria's Constitution of 1999 with Amendments through 2011 // Constituteproject. org [Электронный ресурс] // URL: https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Nige-ria_2011.pdf?lang=en (Дата обращения: 04.11.2022).
8. Ofoegbu R. The Structure and Process of Foreign Policy Formulation and Implementation: A Study of the Ministry of External Affairs, 1990.
9. Ogunnubi O. Unlocking the Black Box of Nigeria's Hegemonic Foreign Policy // Journal of African Affairs. 2018. № 5 (2). P. 43-66.
