Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has emphasized that the country will not be pressured into aligning with any global power blocs, asserting Nigeria’s commitment to maintaining an independent, interest-driven foreign policy.
Speaking as a guest lecturer at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) in Lagos on Friday, Tuggar said Nigeria must chart its own course on the global stage.
His comments were contained in a statement released by the Ministry’s spokesperson, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, on Sunday.
Tuggar outlined Nigeria’s 21st-century foreign policy framework, which he said would be anchored on four key pillars: democracy, demography, development and the diaspora.
He warned against historical policy missteps, such as blindly following external economic models like the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP), which he described as “economic bandwagoning.”
“Our idea is to avoid the booby trap of entangling alliances or ideological over-alignment, but rather to focus on issue-based relationships and partnerships of purpose,” he said.
According to him, Nigeria’s size, large population and internal market offer strategic leverage in navigating today’s complex global environment.
On concerns over the absence of appointed ambassadors, Tuggar assured that Nigerian embassies remain fully functional.
He dismissed suggestions of paralysis in diplomatic missions, noting that chargés d’affaires and career diplomats are competently managing operations.
“All our embassies are functioning well,” he stated.
“The absence of ambassadors has not created a vacuum. Diplomacy is not a one-man show, the system is designed to cope.”
Tuggar added that the appointment of ambassadors is the exclusive prerogative of the President and will be made in due time.
