Nigeria must adopt a foreign policy rooted in “strategic autonomy” rather than outdated notions of non-alignment, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar has said.
Tuggar explained that Nigeria’s interests are best served when it engages global partners based on “shared or common interests,” rather than pledging loyalty to the East or West.
“We can't just say we’re non-aligned,” he said. “What we need now is strategic autonomy, where we engage based on our interests and avoid getting bogged down in ideological entanglements.”
The minister lamented what he described as longstanding encroachment by ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) into the core functions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, warning that such interference often complicates sensitive diplomatic issues.
Tuggar made these remarks during a special edition of Nigeria Info FM’s flagship program, Boarderline with Ireti Bakare-Yusuf.
“Sadly, it continues to this day,” Tuggar said. “When major global events involve Nigeria, instead of allowing us to do our job, everybody piles on. They want to take the lead, and it becomes a media event.”
He noted that effective diplomacy requires institutional memory and established frameworks such as binational commissions, joint commissions, and strategic dialogue platforms structures that other agencies often overlook in a rush to manage crises as security issues.
Citing recent tensions with the United States over allegations of Christian persecution, Tuggar said these concerns could have been handled through existing mechanisms.
“We have a binational commission with the U.S., including a peace and security working group. Some of these issues could have been addressed by activating that,” he said. “But whenever there’s public interest, everybody piles on.”
The minister also recalled the fallout from the 2023 coup in Niger Republic, noting that premature interventions by various actors created confusion that foreign affairs officials later had to resolve.
“Everybody wanted to be seen to have solved the problem between Nigeria and Niger,” he said. “A mess was created, and when it did not succeed, it became a foreign affairs matter to clean up.”
Responding to questions about U.S. President Donald Trump’s harsh comments on Nigeria following Nigeria’s pro-Palestine stance at the UN, Tuggar said the ministry deliberately maintained a calm tone to preserve diplomatic relations.
“Our response was measured and diplomatic,” he said. “Nigeria is one of the few countries that gets along with everyone. We don’t have enemies, and we want to keep it that way.”
Tuggar stressed that for Nigeria’s foreign policy to be effective, the ministry must be given the space to do its job.
“There’s a reason every country puts its foreign ministry upfront on matters of diplomacy,” he said. “Nigeria cannot be an exception.”
