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ISSN 0321-3056 ИЗВЕСТИЯ ВУЗОВ. СЕВЕРО-КАВКАЗСКИМ РЕГИОН. ОБЩЕСТВЕННЫЕ НАУКИ._2019. № 4
ISSN 0321-3056 IZVESTIYA VUZOV. SEVERO-KAVKAZSKII REGION. SOCIAL SCIENCES. 2019. No. 4
УДК 94 DOI 10.23683/0321-3056-2019-4-98-103
NIGERIA'S FOREIGN POLICY: INVOLVEMENT IN ECOWAS
© 2019 г. Makpah Oyeinebiyeridei Joy а
а Peoples Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), Moscow, Russia
ВНЕШНЯЯ ПОЛИТИКА НИГЕРИИ: УЧАСТИЕ В ЭКОВАС
Макпа Ойеинебийеридей Джой а
а Российский университет дружбы народов, Москва, Россия
Makpah Oyeinebiyeridei Joy - Макпа Ойеинебийеридей Джой -
Postgraduate, Аспирант,
Peoples Friendship University of Russia Российский университет
(RUDN University), дружбы народов,
Miklukho-Maklaya St., 6, Moscow, 117198, Russia. ул. Миклухо-Маклая, 6, Москва, 117198, Россия.
E-mail: joymakpah@yahoo. co. uk E-mail: joymakpah@yahoo. co.uk
Every nation or country has established foreign policies which serve as a root and platform which the nation follows. These policies influence the international community or inter-governmental organization. Nigeria as a state is a main member of ECOWAS and many other organizations. The Nigerian foreign policy on ECOWAS by the community was enormous and can be assessed by its activism in the community. The purpose of this article is to analyze Nigerian foreign policy, and due to what factors the policy has been effective in the ECOWAS community. This article assesses Nigerian foreign policy with its implications and functions at ECOWAS. This article focuses on the use of the analytical method through literature review and personal research. From this analysis it can be concluded that foreign policy is an effective mechanism for projecting the image of a country and political direction abroad into a modern system of international relations.
Ключевые слова: Nigeria, foreign policy, ECOWAS, West African countries.
Рассматривается и анализируется внешняя политика Нигерии в отношении ЭКОВАС (Экономическое сообщество стран Западной Африки). Каждое государство определяет собственную внешнюю политику, то направление, которому оно следует, оказывая влияние на международное сообщество и межправительственные организации. Нигерия, являясь одним из основных членов ЭКОВАС, активно влияет на деятельность этой организации, кроме того, поддерживает ее на международном уровне. В статье показаны факторы, за счет которых политика Нигерии в отношении ЭКОВАС была эффективной и продуманной. Дана оценка нигерийской внешней политике и ее последствиям для имиджа страны. Автор делает обзор литературы и опирается на личные исследования. В заключение констатируется, что внешняя политика Нигерии в настоящее время является продуктивным механизмом ее положительного влияния на международные организации, в частности ЭКОВАС, успешно содействуя при этом продвижению страны в современной системе международных отношений.
Keywords: Нигерия, внешняя политика, ЭКОВАС, страны Западной Африки.
Introduction many different languages. The country declared its
independence from the United Kingdom on Octo-
Nigeria is a country located in the West Africa ber 1, 1960. As in 2019, the estimated population of and it shares borders with Benin, Chad, Cameroon, the country is over 200.96 million [1], unarguably, and Niger. The capital city of Nigeria is Abuja. The Nigeria is a country that is blessed with enormous country has 36 states and 1 Federal Capital Territo- human and material resources, but ironically, this ry. Nigeria is the most populated nation in Africa country has become the bastion of inequitable state and keeps the 8th place in the world with more than policies, injustice, barefaced corruption, social 140 million people. According to International decay, poverty-ridden, etc., where ethnicity has Monetary Fund (IMF), Nigerian economy is pro- pervaded every facet of the Nigerian life, and objected by 8.3 % in 2009. The country of Nigeria is liviously determines who gets what, when and presented by five hundred different ethnic groups, how.
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But according to analysis of 2018, things really changed in Nigeria both in the economy and the population. The broad numbers of languages and cultures have positive and negative effects, these will be discussed in details in the course of this thesis.
Objective: This paper considers the ways that Nigeria's foreign policies have been used and are being used in ECOWAS countries, the ways these policies have contributed in solving the challenges experiences in ECOWAS. The main objective of this research paper is to analyse the effect of Nigeria's foreign policies in ECOWAS community.
ECOWASC organization is considered to be one of the pillars of the African Economic Community; it was set up to foster the ideal of collective self-sufficiency for its member states. As a trading union, it is also meant to create a single, large trading bloc through economic cooperation.
Some of these strategies are integrated economic activities that are carried out in this area, but are not limited to industry, transport, telecommunications, energy, agriculture, natural resources, trade, monetary and financial issues, social and cultural issues.
Like every community with vision, ECOWAS has a vision in the creation of a borderless region where the population has access to its abundant resources and is able to exploit them through the creation of opportunities under a sustainable environment.
Problem statement: In this paper we analyze the Nigeria's foreign policies in ECOWAS and contributions of these policies to the community of ECOWAS and Africa. This paper has the task to identify the Nigeria's foreign policies influence on the activities of the ECOWAS community. It considers what ways these policies have been beneficial to the member states.
General Overview
Nigeria, a country known as the largest black African country in population is incorporated or is a member of many economic organizations that are multilateral in nature. The examples of such organizations are: World Bank, Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), United Nations (UN), African Union (AU), Economic community of west African states (ECOWAS) and others.
The inauguration of ECOWAS in Lagos Nigeria on 28th May 1975 was seen as a breakthrough in the long series of efforts to establish some form of economic cooperation and integration embracing the entire West African sub-region [2]. While Nigeria's role as a leader in the process of forming ECOWAS
is generally acknowledged, no systematic analysis exists concerning the nature of Nigeria's role nor of its impact and probable consequences for the organization.
As every organization has its objectives so ECOWAS does. Most of these objectives are influenced by the soft and hard power policies. Further in the paper some of the objectives are summarized
[3]:
• to promote coordinated development of the economic resources of the West African sub-region and give it considerably enhanced bargaining power vis-à-vis the industrialized countries of the world,
• to intensify intra-regional trade,
• to promote the free flow of intra-regional services and investment, and facilitate economic growth in the sub-region; to improve the standard of living of the peoples of the sub-region as well as foster more co-operative relationship between the governments and peoples of West Africa.
Nigeria's commitment to West African economic integration can be traced from the early 1960s, the time of efforts to institutionalize the concept of Pan- Africanism. One of the proposals to achieve institutionalizing of this concept was from Nkru-mah's Continental Union Government, and from a political union of West African states [4]. This proposal met the brick wall because Nigeria opposed it, while succeeding in getting a coalition of African states to support its course [5]. Nigeria's position was that economic integration must precede political union and that economic integration itself must begin at the sub-regional level and proceed in stages beginning with functional cooperation and coordination and leading towards, perhaps, a common market.
Within West Africa, two sections couldn't find themselves on a level ground. The Francophone states saw themselves as a world apart from the Anglophone states and vice versa. The latter existed a Nigerian-Ghanaian rivalry. Ghana's withdrawal from the West African Currency Board and West African Airways on the "insulting" ground that achieved independence could no longer be associated with dependencies in these and other common institutions, together with later struggles for leadership, all exacerbated divergent ideologies and views on the proper form and scope of African unity.
Nigeria's Foreign Policies in ECOWAS
The ECOWAS community is an organization that consists of the Board of Heads of State and Government, the Council of Ministers, the Depart-
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ment of Conflict Prevention, Peace and Security, the Community of Tribunal, Management and Resolution, the ECOWAS Parliament, the Executive Secretariat and six specialized Technical Commissions. The ECOWAS Treaty also makes provision for Economic and Social Council (ECOSOS) with an advisory role composed of economic and social activities!. ECOWAS Commissions were transformed in 2007 , exported and reorganized under: (i) Vision, (ii) Mission, (iii) Objectives, (iv) Institutional arrangement and (v) Directorates (ECOWAS Report 2007).
From the moment Nigeria attained its independence in 1960, various government administrative regimes have given international organizations a place of prominence in the country's diplomacy. Nigeria participated in the founding of some existing international organizations like OAU which is now called AU, World Bank, UNESCO, OPEC, etc., and participated in creating ECOWAS. However, time passed and the degree of importance Nigeria attached to the different international organizations of which it is a member has varied and also its participation in them has changed. Moreover, some international organizations, where Nigeria is a member, have provided it less benefit than cost. Based on these facts of Nigeria's participation, and commitment to the ECOWAS cause, Babangida administration raised some important questions in August 1985.
The Murtala / Obasanjo administration, which replaced the administration of General Govon, suggested supporting the ECOWAS ideals, while the regimes of President Shehu Shagari and General Bukhari showed little interest, while subsequent governments, up to the current administration, played the role of father / leader of ECOWAS. The question that needs to obtain the answer is What political goals does Nigeria hope to achieve with the help of ECOWAS, for which the country bears the bulk of the burden of maintaining the organization's life?
The commitment to the pragmatic and flexible economic integration process that began in the Balewa administration continued to shape the integration policy of the successors. After Nigeria's civil war, which created a setback in the integration efforts, Gowon made Africa the heart of Nigerian policy. A secret foreign policy think-tank endorsed this plan in 1975. Accordingly, the government continued to promote an all-West African economic integration either in spite of or perhaps because of more vigorous regional and international opposition
(mainly Francophone and France) and serious, if short- lived, domestic opposition by a segment of the bureaucracy.
Nigeria has made a tremendous contribution to supporting ECOWAS in the field of trade. The participation of Nigeria in ECOWAS was an adequate field, which writers pay great attention to, and as a result, much has been written about it. Most of the work on this topic has been devoted to the history of ECOWAS. Some others tried to identify the special interest that Nigeria pursued within its framework, without indicating whether it achieved them or not, or on the brink of it, while few seem to be worried about whether Nigeria plays a leading role in the West African sub-region, regardless of the costs that it incurs as part of its membership obligations [3, 6]. The structure of Nigerian foreign policy formed the basic perception on how it sees the world from ideological, political, economic, and religious standpoints.These factors are used as a criterion for determining its foreign policy in response to regional and continental issues. The Nigerian foreign policy approach to the ECOWAS regional agenda is based on the Afrocentric foreign policy doctrine, which is the premise of its foreign policy after Nigeria gained its independence to support the cause of African countries fighting for independence in the 1960s. The Nigerian Afrocentric foreign policy doctrine was effective at the regional level, led by its West African neighbors, because Nigeria views the West African region as its natural territory. Many factors that determined Nigeria's commitment to the ECOWAS idea, the commitment process, as well as the method and tactics adopted in creating the supportive regional coalition that generated ECOWAS are studied [7]. Nigeria as a major leader in ECOWAS community played a central role in the ECOWAS efforts to end the civil war in Liberia and contributed the bulk of the ECOWAS peacekeeping forces sent there in 1990. In the effort to help her co members, Nigeria provided the bulk of troops for ECOMOG forces in Sierra Leone thereby, enjoyed the general good relationship with its immediate neighbors [8].
ECOMOG is the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group. It was a West African multilateral armed force established by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) which was a formal arrangement for separate armies of the West African States to work together. ECOMOG was largely and highly supported by personnel and resources of the Nigerian Armed Forces, with sub-battalion strength units
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contributed by other ECOWAS members like Ghana, Guinea, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Liberia, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and others [9]. ECOMOG represented the first credible attempt at a regional security initiative since the Organization of African Unity (OAU) tried to establish an "Inter-African Force" within Africa to intervene in Chad in 1981 [10]. The Agenda has been properly planned with the implementation strategies adequately put in place waiting for the full outcome, to ensure the realization of ECOWAS Vision 2020 which Nigerian embraced with all its seriousness.
Nigeria Today and Its Policies
Presently, Nigeria's new foreign policy direction focuses on investment and economic cooperation, which thus ties foreign policy to the country's domestic agenda, a slight switch from the old one which Africa has as the main. Notwithstanding, the Nigeria's change in foreign policy objectives did not put Nigeria off in helping The ECOWAS Community, in fact, Nigeria continued to demonstrate its support towards ECOWAS zero tolerance for the unconstitutional and undemocratic change of government [11]. From the office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria in 2013, Nigeria agreed on a peaceful resolution of the crisis and prevented coup leaders in these countries from executing their former detained presidents and prime ministers. [12].
In dealing with Nigeria's foreign policy, it was necessary to maintain its own internal interests, as many things went wrong, starting with a high level of terrorism, the implacable attitude of the Nigerian security forces towards the citizens of Nigeria, human rights violations, the desire to divide the country, economic downturn, militancy etc. Nigeria's acceptance of the leadership of the Joint Multinational Military Forces demonstrated its readiness to build a strategic security network outfit with its West African neighbors to fight against some of the above mentioned are the issues of concern. Discussing some of the main issues mentioned above we need to mention that Boko Haram terrorist group has grown to a stage where Nigeria government needs the help from other ECOWAS nations to fight this deadly terrorist group. Boko Haram is seen as a branch of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. Boko Ha-ram has been active in Nigeria since 2009. The name Boko Haram means "Western" or "non-Islamic" where education is a sin [13]. Since 2009 this deadly group has killed tens of thousands of people and rendered millions of people homeless in the place where
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they have been active, in the north of Nigeria, and they want to impose Islamic law as the only law in Nigeria [14]. Boko Haram wants to outlaw education that is not based on Islam in the country. This group sees itself similar to the Taliban, which is active in Afghanistan. Though, lot of Nigerians sees this deadly group as a politically sponsored group by some prominent Nigerians in their quest for power.The main priority of the Nigerian government remains its internal task of restoring the economy, as they have promised to their citizens, but ignorance of the current administration of Nigeria regarding the need for citizens has led the country to an increase in militancy. As the example we can take the Niger Delta Militancy, a branch of which is called the Movement for the Liberation of the Niger Delta (MEND). In fact, it will be bad and inhuman to call this MEND a terrorist group or a militant, because they are fighting for their right. A study that I conducted in this region showed the absence of a Nigerian government in this region. This region, mainly located in the South-South region of Nigeria and considered to be the engine of Nigeria's resources, and it's hard to see that the region that provides the Nigerian government with wealth does not have good water, school and other amenities. Another concern is that Nigeria has still not resolved the cause of the civil war in Nigeria between the government of Nigeria and the people of Biafra (southeastern and south-south regions of Nigeria). The government has failed to treat and solve the reason and cause of this Civil war. The people of Biafra have been left and ignored by the Nigerian government and had to suffer and die in the hands of security agencies of the Nigeria government that are meant to fight and protect Nigeria citizens. In 2017, the government and military of Nigeria noted that a group from the Biafra region, known as the Biafra Indigenous Peoples (IPOB), was called a terrorist group, which the international community kicked and talked about because these people never carried weapons, never killed anyone and tried in a peaceful way to tell the world the truth about the injustice towards them from the side of the government of Nigeria.
Based on the above issues, the present government of President Muhammadu Buhari has not done enough to solve the problem of Nigerians. An evidence of this can be seen in security challenges, economic challenges of the country of Nigeria currently facing and illustrated by the articles of the United Nations and WHO (World Health Organisation). Although during the inaugural address of President Muhammad Bukhari in 2015, when he
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took office, he promised to raise the level of citizens of Nigeria, preserving the national interests that would determine his foreign policy in the West African sub-region, Nigerian foreign policy is undergoing a period of transformation without any specific agenda, with the exception of the old af-rocentric slogan, which has dominated its foreign policy language since the moment of its independence. Nigerian foreign policy has passed through various phases since its independence in 1960. Nigerian foreign policy from the very beginning was formulated to serve the interest of the West African region and the African continent [15]. Statistically, Nigeria's poverty rate has grown drastically in this early stage of the present Nigeria administration more than it was in the past 4 years with the same president, that can be verified from the united nation statistics. Elaborating on this, the cost of living in Nigeria is now too high while the source of income has dropped as low as 80 % where civil servants are owed monthly salary for more than 12 months and pensioners more than 20 months.
Conclusion
From the analysis, the following listed conclusions are drawn
1. Notwithstanding, the setback in Nigerian political development and subsequent internal challenges that is following did not discourage Nigeria from extending its assistance and contributions to ECOWAS.
2. Nigerian foreign policy towards ECOWAS regional initiatives has directly or indirectly contributed to the growth of the organization and the development of the region especially in spheres of the economic scheme, security formation, and promotion of political stability through democracy and good governance but more is needed in the internal aspect of Nigeria.
Nigeria engagements in ECOWAS activities are carried out through bilateral and multilateral diplomacy to meet the expectations of the international community as a regional leader and it is expected to bring help into the Nigeria internal problems to solve and do the needful for a better Nigeria by allowing member nations to sign bilateral agreements that will benefit all and bring unity.
References
1. Nigerian population. Available at: http:// worldpopulationreview.com/countries/nigeria-population/ (accessed 11.04.2019).
2. Green R.A., Krishna K.G.V. Economic Cooperation in Africa: Retrospect and Prospects. London: Oxford University Press, 1967.
3. Owunwa S.C. Nigeria's National Interest and the Survival of ECOWAS. AICE, Owerri: Mimeograph, 1992.
4. Nkrumah K. Africa Must Unite. London: Mercury Books, 1965, pp. 150-172.
5. Olatunde J.B.O. Nigeria's Foreign Policy, 1960-66: Politics, Economics and the Struggle for African Leadership.
6. Committee report (2005), ECOWAS profile. Available at: www.isscozal/af/regory/unit (accessed 14.02.2015).
7. Nuamah R. Nigeria's Foreign Policy after the Cold War. Domestic, Regional and External Influences. 2003.
8. Library of Congress. Cameroon, Nigeria: Ba-kassi Peninsula Transition Completed, Aug. 13, 2013.
9. Adeleke A. Liberia civil war: Nigeria, ECOMOG and regional security. Lynne Rienner / International Peace Academy, 2002, pp. 64-65.
10. Wippman D. Enforcing Peace: ECOWAS and the Liberian Civil War. Enforcing Restraint, Collective Interventions in Internal Conflicts. L. Fisler Dam-rosch (ed). New York: Council on Foreign Relations, 1993, pp.157-203.
11. Omo-Ogbebor D.O. Nigerian foreign policy approach towards ECOWAS. Journal of Human Sciences, 2017, vol. 14 (4).
12. Foreign Policy. Business Dictionary, 2017.
13. Available at: http:// www.thenationonlineng. net/2011/index.php/news/21270-boko-haram-is-battle-for-2015-says-chukwumerije.html (accessed 20.12.2015).
14. All Africa.com: Nigeria: We Are Responsible for Borno Killings, Says Boko Haram.
15. Ajaebili C.N. The Option of Economic Diplomacy in Nigeria's Foreign Policy. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 2011, vol. 1 (17), pp. 277-280.
Литература
1. Nigerian population. Available at: http:// worldpopulationreview.com/countries/nigeria-population/ (дата обращения: 11.04.2019).
2. Green R.A., Krishna K.G.V. Economic Cooperation in Africa: Retrospect and Prospects. London: Oxford University Press, 1967.
3. Owunwa S.C. Nigeria's National Interest and the Survival of ECOWAS. AICE, Owerri: Mimeograph, 1992.
ISSN 0321-3056 IZVESTIYA VUZOV. SEVERO-KAVKAZSKII REGION. SOCIAL SCIENCES. 2019. No. 4
4. Nkrumah K. Africa Must Unite. London: Mercury Books, 1965. Р. 150-172.
5. Olatunde J.B.O. Nigeria's Foreign Policy, 196066: Politics, Economics and the Struggle for African Leadership.
6. Committee report (2005), ECOWAS profile. Available at: www.isscozal/af/regory/unit (дата обращения: 14.02.2015).
7. Nuamah R. Nigeria's Foreign Policy after the Cold War. Domestic, Regional and External Influences. 2003.
8. Library of Congress. Cameroon, Nigeria: Ba-kassi Peninsula Transition Completed, Aug. 13, 2013.
9. Adeleke A. Liberia civil war: Nigeria, ECOMOG and regional security. Lynne Rienner / International Peace Academy, 2002. P. 64-65.
10. Wippman D. Enforcing Peace: ECOWAS and the Liberian Civil War // Enforcing Restraint, Collective
Interventions in Internal Conflicts. L. Fisler Damrosch (ed). New York: Council on Foreign Relations, 1993. P. 157-203.
11. Omo-Ogbebor D.O. Nigerian foreign policy approach towards ECOWAS // Journal of Human Sciences, 2017. Vol. 14 (4).
12. Foreign Policy. Business Dictionary, 2017.
13. Available at: http:// www.thenationonlineng. net/2011/index.php/news/21270-boko-haram-is-battle-for-2015-says-chukwumerije.html (дата обращения: 20.12.2015).
14. All Africa.com: Nigeria: We Are Responsible for Borno Killings, Says Boko Haram.
15. Ajaebili C.N. The Option of Economic Diplomacy in Nigeria's Foreign Policy // International Journal of Humanities and Social Science. 2011. Vol. 1 (17). P. 277-280.
Поступила в редакцию / Received 21 мая 2019 г. / May 21, 2019
