Multilateralism, Foreign Policy, and National Interests of States: A case Study of Nigeria

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October 17, 2024

Accepted

February 19, 2025

Published

February 21, 2025

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Abstract

Great powers within the global system are deemed to be financially and militarily powerful to stand behind the multilateral institutions as sentinel and use such as a tool of achieving national interests. In this case, most researchers have toed such a line of reasoning while sidelining the role regional powers could also play in multilateral intuitions at regional and sub-regional levels. The current research, therefore, queries the role of regional hegemony in the employment of multilateral institutions in achieving foreign policy goals. It seeks to provide basic elements underlining the involvement of Nigeria in international organizations. As Nigeria conducts most of its external relations through multilateral diplomacy, it is imperative to provide a conceptual basis upon which such a role can be defined. In doing this we present the contemporary case study of Nigeria’s involvement in Mail to buttress our claim. The article relies on the theoretical precept of Regional Security Complex which emphasizes the role of state actors in the multilateral institutions to stem the tides of regional insecurity. In addition, the study uses newspapers, textbooks, speeches, archival records, articles in journals, and internet sources. In utilizing all these data sources, the use of latent content analysis and textual mining in interpreting and analyzing the data is upheld. Thus, the research found that Nigeria needs to be more proactive and assertive in Africa’s regional institutions in order to mitigate the insecurity issue in West Africa. The research, therefore, concludes that Nigeria, as the sole regional power in West Africa, needs to act fast to prevent the total collapse of security architecture in West Africa and the Sahel.

Keywords

multilateralism foreign policy regional power Nigeria west africa

References

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Adebajo, A. (2002). Liberia's civil war: Nigeria, ECOMOG, and regional security in West Africa. Lynne Rienner Publishers.
Adeniji, A. (2005). Power and Representation at the United Nations: A Critique of Nigeria's Bid for Permanent Seat in the Security Council. India Quarterly, 61(2), 116.
Adigbuo, R. (2013). Diplomatic and Military Co-operations in Nigeria’s Foreign Policy. International Affairs and Global Strategy, 13, 11-21.
Adogamhe, P. G. (2008). Pan-Africanism revisited: Vision and reality of African unity and development. African Review of Integration, 2(2), 1-34.
Ayoob, M. (1991).The security problematic of the Third World. World Politics,43(02),257-283.
Bach, D. C. (2007). Nigeria's' manifest destiny in West Africa: dominance without power. Africa Spectrum 42 (2), 301-321.
Balewa, T. (1960). (TNA, DO 177/12). The Nigerian National Archive, Ibadan, Nigeria
Barika, N. L.(2014) Nigerian Foreign Policy From 1960-2003 “Implications for Present and Future Leaders”. IOSR Journal of Humanities And Social Science, 19 (8), 52-58
Carlsneas, W. & Guzzini, S. (eds) (2011). Foreign Policy Analysis. London: Sage Publication.
Chibundu, V. N. (2003). Foreign Policy: With Particular Reference to Nigeria (1961-2002). Nigeria: Spectrum Books.
Claude, I L. (1994). Collective legitimization as a political function of the united nations. In k. Friedrich & M. D. Edward (Eds.), International organisation: a reader (pp.192-199). New York, USA: HarperCollins College Publishers.
Claude, I. L. (1966). Collective legitimization as a political function of the United Nations. International Organization, 20(03), 367-379.
Durotoye, A. (2014). One Personality, Two Regimes: A Comparative Analysis of Nigeria’s Foreign Policies under Olusegun Obasanjo. International Affairs and Global Strategy, 24, 22-32.
Fafowara, O. (1998). Nigeria: Foreign Policy and Diplomatic Disarray. African Journal of International Affairs, 1(1), 51-56.
Hansclever, A. Mayer, P. & Rittberger, V. (eds) (1997). Theories ofInternational Regimes. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press
Ireogbu, S. (2012, November 21). UK pledges support as ECOWAS sends 3200 troops to Mali. ThisDay.
Lake, D. A., & Morgan, P. M. (1997). Regional orders: Building security in a new world. Penn State Press.
Luck, E. C. (2002). The united states, international organisations, and the quest for legitimacy. In P. Stewart & F. Sherpard (Eds.), Multilateralism and U.S. foreign policy: ambivalent engagement (pp. 47-74). London, United Kingdom: Lynne Rienner Publishers.
Nolte, D. (2009). How to compare regional powers: analytical concepts and research topics. Review of international studies, 36, 881-901
Nwankwo, O. B. (2013). Shifting the paradigm in Nigeria’s foreign policy: Goodluck Jonathan and Nigeria’s vision 20: 2020. Social Sciences, 2(6), 212-221.
Nwokedi, E. (1985). Sub-regional security and Nigerian foreign policy. African Affairs, 84(335), 195-209.
Obayuwana, O. (2012, June 12). Nigeria, ECOWAS chief, others seek UN’s support. The Guardian.
Obayuwana, 0. (2012, June 12). Nigeria, Ecowas chief, others seek UN’s support. The Nigerian Guardian.
Ojo, O. J. (1980). Nigeria and the Formation of ECOWAS. International Organization, 34(04), 571-604.
Ojo, S.(1983). The administration of nigeria’s foreign service, 1960-80. In S.M Timothy & A. Olajide (Eds), Nigerian foreign policy: alternative projections (pp.56-76). Hong Kong: Macmillan Press Ltd.
Omach, P. (2000). The African Crisis Response Initiative: domestic politics and convergence of national interests. African Affairs, 99(394), 73-95.
Okeke, V.O.S. (2007) “Path to African Security under the 21st Century Nuclear Regime”. African Journal of Political Science and International Relations, Vol. 2(1).
Oyedele, D. (2012, Novemeber 13). Mali: ECOWAS Still Exploring option of dialogue, This Day.
Pogoson, I. (2011). A Decade of Nigeria’s Economic Diplomacy: Issues and Challenges. Board Members, 40.
Prys, M., & Jungfernstieg, N. (2010, September).The variability of regional powers.In Paper presented at the SGIR 7th Pan-European Conference on IR(Vol. 9, p.11).
Ruggie, J. G. (1993). Multilateralism: the anatomy of an institution. Internationalorganization, 46(03), 561-598.
Saliu, H. A. (2007). Nigeria‟ s National Interests in a Globalizing World. Further Reflections on Conservative and Beneficial Concentricism.(Volume three: Nigerians Interests beyond Nigeria) Ibadan. Boly Interventional Publishers.
Schirm, S. A. (2012). Leaders in need of followers: Emerging powers in global gov
ernance. InPower in the 21st Century (pp. 211-236). Springer, Berlin: Heidelberg.
Shaw, T. M. (1984). The state of Nigeria: Oil crises, power bases and foreign policy. Canadian Journal of African Studies/La Revue canadienne des études Africaines, 18(2), 393-405.
Snelling, (1959, 19 January). Letter to Fingland (CO 554/2059) The Nigerian National Archive, Ibadan, Nigeria.
ThisDay, Novemeber 21, 2012.
ThisDay, Novemebr 23, 2012.
UNSC Reports on Mali (December, 2012) retrieved from
http://www.securitycouncilreport.org/un-documents/malisahel/ on 23/03/2015

References

Adebajo, A. (2003) In Search of Warlords: Hegemonic Peacekeeping in Liberia and Somalia International Peacekeeping, 10(4), 62-81.

Adebajo, A. (2002). Liberia's civil war: Nigeria, ECOMOG, and regional security in West Africa. Lynne Rienner Publishers.

Adeniji, A. (2005). Power and Representation at the United Nations: A Critique of Nigeria's Bid for Permanent Seat in the Security Council. India Quarterly, 61(2), 116.

Adigbuo, R. (2013). Diplomatic and Military Co-operations in Nigeria’s Foreign Policy. International Affairs and Global Strategy, 13, 11-21.

Adogamhe, P. G. (2008). Pan-Africanism revisited: Vision and reality of African unity and development. African Review of Integration, 2(2), 1-34.

Ayoob, M. (1991).The security problematic of the Third World. World Politics,43(02),257-283.

Bach, D. C. (2007). Nigeria's' manifest destiny in West Africa: dominance without power. Africa Spectrum 42 (2), 301-321.

Balewa, T. (1960). (TNA, DO 177/12). The Nigerian National Archive, Ibadan, Nigeria

Barika, N. L.(2014) Nigerian Foreign Policy From 1960-2003 “Implications for Present and Future Leaders”. IOSR Journal of Humanities And Social Science, 19 (8), 52-58

Carlsneas, W. & Guzzini, S. (eds) (2011). Foreign Policy Analysis. London: Sage Publication.

Chibundu, V. N. (2003). Foreign Policy: With Particular Reference to Nigeria (1961-2002). Nigeria: Spectrum Books.

Claude, I L. (1994). Collective legitimization as a political function of the united nations. In k. Friedrich & M. D. Edward (Eds.), International organisation: a reader (pp.192-199). New York, USA: HarperCollins College Publishers.

Claude, I. L. (1966). Collective legitimization as a political function of the United Nations. International Organization, 20(03), 367-379.

Durotoye, A. (2014). One Personality, Two Regimes: A Comparative Analysis of Nigeria’s Foreign Policies under Olusegun Obasanjo. International Affairs and Global Strategy, 24, 22-32.

Fafowara, O. (1998). Nigeria: Foreign Policy and Diplomatic Disarray. African Journal of International Affairs, 1(1), 51-56.

Hansclever, A. Mayer, P. & Rittberger, V. (eds) (1997). Theories ofInternational Regimes. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press

Ireogbu, S. (2012, November 21). UK pledges support as ECOWAS sends 3200 troops to Mali. ThisDay.

Lake, D. A., & Morgan, P. M. (1997). Regional orders: Building security in a new world. Penn State Press.

Luck, E. C. (2002). The united states, international organisations, and the quest for legitimacy. In P. Stewart & F. Sherpard (Eds.), Multilateralism and U.S. foreign policy: ambivalent engagement (pp. 47-74). London, United Kingdom: Lynne Rienner Publishers.

Nolte, D. (2009). How to compare regional powers: analytical concepts and research topics. Review of international studies, 36, 881-901

Nwankwo, O. B. (2013). Shifting the paradigm in Nigeria’s foreign policy: Goodluck Jonathan and Nigeria’s vision 20: 2020. Social Sciences, 2(6), 212-221.

Nwokedi, E. (1985). Sub-regional security and Nigerian foreign policy. African Affairs, 84(335), 195-209.

Obayuwana, O. (2012, June 12). Nigeria, ECOWAS chief, others seek UN’s support. The Guardian.

Obayuwana, 0. (2012, June 12). Nigeria, Ecowas chief, others seek UN’s support. The Nigerian Guardian.

Ojo, O. J. (1980). Nigeria and the Formation of ECOWAS. International Organization, 34(04), 571-604.

Ojo, S.(1983). The administration of nigeria’s foreign service, 1960-80. In S.M Timothy & A. Olajide (Eds), Nigerian foreign policy: alternative projections (pp.56-76). Hong Kong: Macmillan Press Ltd.

Omach, P. (2000). The African Crisis Response Initiative: domestic politics and convergence of national interests. African Affairs, 99(394), 73-95.

Okeke, V.O.S. (2007) “Path to African Security under the 21st Century Nuclear Regime”. African Journal of Political Science and International Relations, Vol. 2(1).

Oyedele, D. (2012, Novemeber 13). Mali: ECOWAS Still Exploring option of dialogue, This Day.

Pogoson, I. (2011). A Decade of Nigeria’s Economic Diplomacy: Issues and Challenges. Board Members, 40.

Prys, M., & Jungfernstieg, N. (2010, September).The variability of regional powers.In Paper presented at the SGIR 7th Pan-European Conference on IR(Vol. 9, p.11).

Ruggie, J. G. (1993). Multilateralism: the anatomy of an institution. Internationalorganization, 46(03), 561-598.

Saliu, H. A. (2007). Nigeria‟ s National Interests in a Globalizing World. Further Reflections on Conservative and Beneficial Concentricism.(Volume three: Nigerians Interests beyond Nigeria) Ibadan. Boly Interventional Publishers.

Schirm, S. A. (2012). Leaders in need of followers: Emerging powers in global gov

ernance. InPower in the 21st Century (pp. 211-236). Springer, Berlin: Heidelberg.

Shaw, T. M. (1984). The state of Nigeria: Oil crises, power bases and foreign policy. Canadian Journal of African Studies/La Revue canadienne des études Africaines, 18(2), 393-405.

Snelling, (1959, 19 January). Letter to Fingland (CO 554/2059) The Nigerian National Archive, Ibadan, Nigeria.

ThisDay, Novemeber 21, 2012.

ThisDay, Novemebr 23, 2012.

UNSC Reports on Mali (December, 2012) retrieved from

http://www.securitycouncilreport.org/un-documents/malisahel/ on 23/03/2015