The Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) has said that Nigeria is currently at the precipice of history with the development trajectory and foreign policy priorities of the country being remapped and reconfigured by the current administration.
The Institute in a statement on Monday, also said that “the ability of democratically elected leaders to assuage Nigerians, at home and in the Diaspora, of the humanitarian benefits of their policies is tied to a thorough conceptualization of what our national interests are, amid several competing interests.”
NIIA while expressing its compliments to THISDAY for the laudable work it has been doing in informing public discourse on local and international issues, said that:
“We believe that Nigeria is currently at the precipice of history. As the development trajectory and foreign policy priorities of the country are being remapped and reconfigured by the current administration, the Institute notes that the ability of democratically elected leaders to assuage Nigerians, at home and in the Diaspora, of the humanitarian benefits of their policies is tied to a thorough conceptualization of what our national interests are, amid several competing interests.”
The statement added: “As Nigeria’s foremost think tank on international affairs, NIIA has contributed, in no small measure, to the positioning, coordination, and promotion of Nigeria’s foreign policy and national interests. We endeavour to provide consistent and evidence-based information and analyses on the changing dynamics of global affairs and trends.”
The Institute however noted that in recent times, “the increasing level of agitations and concerns that have emerged from the articulation and assertion of interests by state and non-state actors under the current neoliberal order. These contestations usually revolve around questions of state legitimacy, ethnonationalism, and resource allocation.
“If not properly and promptly addressed by national and international actors, these agitations could potentially result in the escalation of conflict situations and depredation of fundamental freedoms, posing remarkable threats to the security of lives and properties across countries. The ongoing Russo-Ukraine war and the protracted Sudan conflict are instructive cases.
It disclosed that to further interrogate the subject matter, a guest lecture on the theme “Utmost Freedom: The Real Essence of National Interest” would be held on Thursday, July 20, 2023.
It revealed that the guest lecture will be delivered by Professor Babafemi Badejo, an erudite Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Chrisland University and former Head of Political Affairs, at UN-AU Mission in Darfur (UNAMID).
Michael Olugbode in Abuja
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