JOURNAL OF SOCIAL AND MANAGEMENT SCIENCES
Journal of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Delta State University, Abraka, Nigeria

ISSN: 1597-0396
DOI: 10.5987/UJ-JSMS
Email: jsms@universityjournals.org

DIPLOMATIC SHUTTLES IN FOREIGN POLICY: WERE OBASANJO TRIPS DURING HIS TENURE OF ANY BENEFITS TO NIGERIA?

DOI: 10.5987/UJ-JSMS.17.066.1   |   Article Number: 42C748D913   |   Vol.12 (1) - April 2017

Authors:  SANUBI Franklins A. and OKE Chris I.

Keywords: Foreign Policy, diplomacy, diplomatic shuttles, Nigeria image-laundering, foreign direct investment (FDI)

ABSTRACT

Full-Text PDF

 

A major foreign policy feature of the President Olusegun Obasanjo's 1999-2007 administration was its flurry of foreign trips. As a tool for promoting bilateral and multilateral bargaining in interstate relations, and against the cacophony of views on the relevance of these travels for a developing economy in transition, this paper presents a post-mortem historical discourse on the President Obasanjo's diplomatic travels and assesses the gains for Nigeria as a nation-state.It uses mainly secondary data to buttress the argument of success of Obasanjo's foreign travels which were aimed primarily at restoring Nigeria's international image hitherto battered by the military regimes that preceded the administration. It observes amongst other things that the shuttles rekindled international business engagement sin Nigeria by attracting inflows of Foreign Direct Investments (FDI), securing international debt reliefs while restoring its recognition in the comity of nations. It recommends among other things, a redirection of the nation-state's foreign policy towards addressing the critical developmental questions notably its near-zero domestic infrastructure, its drowning currency and its dire domestic/regional security situation being currently despoiled by scourges of regional terrorism and militant insurgencies.

Abdulai,  D.N.  (2007).  Attracting  foreign  direct investment for growth and development in Sub-Saharan Africa: policy options and s t r a t e g i c a l t e r n a t i v e s . A f r i c a Development, Vol. XXXII, No. 2.

Africa Yearbook: Politics, Economy and Society South of the Sahara in 2006 ...edited by Andreas Mehler, Henning Melber, Klaas Van Walraven, Amin Kamete. P.159

Aginam, A.(2010).Media and Democratization in Nigeria: State, Capital and Civil Society. Unpublished Ph.D Thesis, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby,Canada. P.69

Ajayi, K. (2005). Nigeria's foreign policy and image crisis. AJPAM, Vol. XVI, No. 2.

Akindele, R.A. & Ale, B. (2000). Selected readings o n N i g e r i a ' s f o r e i g n p o l i c y a n d International Relations. Ibadan: NIIA & Vantage Publishers.

Akinterinwa,   B.A  (2004).   Concentricism   in Nigeria's foreign policy. In Bola A. Akinterinwa (Ed.), Nigeria's new foreign policy   thrust:   Essays   in   Honour   of Ambassador OluyemiAdeniji, CON @70. Ibadan: Vantage Publishers Limited, (pp.428-460)

Akintola, B. (2007). Nigeria and the world: A review of Nigeria's foreign policy (1960- 2007). The Nigerian Army Quarterly Journal, 3(4), December.

Alao, A. (2011). Nigeria and the global powers: Continuity and change in policy and perceptions. South  African  Institute  of I n t e r n a t i o n a l A f f a i r s : A f r i c a n perspectives. Global insights. Occasional paper No. 96.P.21

Amacker, C. (2011). The functions of diplomacy. E- International relations. Retrieved 28 december, 2016 @ http://www.e- ir.info/2011/07/20/the-functions-of- diplomacy/

Ashiru, O. (2013, April16). Nigeria's foreign policy: New realities in a changing world. Paper presented at a luncheon organised by the Association of Retired Ambassadors of Nigeria. Lagos: ThisDay Newspapers.

Awotide, R. (2005). A needless war.Tell MagazineLagos:Tell Communications limited.

Ayanwale, A.B. (2007). FDI and economic growth: Evidence from Nigeria. African Economic Research Consortium, (AERC) Research Paper 165, Nairobi, April 2007.

Berridge, C. G. (2002). Diplomacy: Theory and practice. 2nd ed. Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave

Cable  News  Network  (CNN)  (1995,  Nov  11). N i g e r i a s u s p e n d e d f r o m Commonwealth:Local populace stunned by dissident executions. Retrieved 27 November 2016 @ http://edition.cnn.com WORLD/9511/nigeria/11-11/

Central Bank of Nigeria Statistical Bulletin (2014). Annual Reports and Statement of Account, Abuja.

Coker, M. A., Ugwu, D. U. & Adams, J. A. (2012). Corruption and direct foreign investments in Nigeria: Challenges of implementing anti-corruption programmes under Obasanjo, 1999 – 2007.

Dauda R. O. S. (2007). The impact of FDI on Nigeria's Economic Growth: Trade PolicyMatters. Journal of Business and Policy Research, Vol. 3, No.2, pp.11-26.

Global Advanced Research Journal of History, Political Science and International Relations Vol. 1 (4). Available online http://garj.org/garjhpsir/index.htm

Enweremadu, D. U. (2010). Anti-corruption policies in Nigeria under Obasanjo and Yar'Adua: what to do after 2011? Discussion Paper, No. 1, November, 2010. Friedrich Ebert Stifung, Marrakesh Street, Wuse, Abuja.

Ezeanyeji, C.I. &Ifebi, O.L. (2016). Impact of Foreign Direct Investment on Sectoral Performance in the Nigerian Economy: A Study of Telecommunications Sector. International Journal of Humanities Social Sciences and Education (IJHSSE), Volume 3, Issue 2, February 2016, Pp 57-75.

Ezeife, D. I. (2002). The frenzied search for foreign investors - A severely flawed policy! Retrieved from www.nigeriaworld.com

Ezeilo, J.N.(2010). Nigeria and Cameroon: The Bakassi Dispute. Nigerian Juridical Review(2002-2019) vol.9, Pp.148-188.

Fayomi, O.O,Chidozie, F.C. &Ajayi, A. (2014). Nigeria's national image and her foreign policy: an exploratory approach. Ota: Covenant University Press.

Fey, M. & Ramsay,K.W.(2010). When is shuttle d i p l o m a c y w o r t h t h e c o m m u t e : Information sharing through mediation. Work in progress document. Retrieved 05 December 2016 @https://www.rochester.edu/college/faculty/markfey/papers/mediation3.2.pdf

Folarin, S.L.(2013). Nigeria and the dilemma of global relevance: Foreign policy under military dictatorship (1993-1999) Covenant Journal of Politics and International Affairs (CUJPIA) Vol. 1, No. 1 (Maiden Edition), September, 2013, Pp.15-33

Gambari,I. A. (1989). Theory and reality in foreign policy making: Nigeria after the second republic. Humanities Press, Pages 21, 205, 230

Garuba D. (2008), Country profile: Nigeria and its regional context. Annex Foreign policy: CIDOB International Yearbook 2008.

Holsti, K.J.(1983). International politics: A framework for analysis. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: PrenticeHall Inc. Pp 168-70.

Human Right Watch (1999). The price of oil:Corporate responsibility and human rights violations in Nigeria's oil producing communities.  Human  Rights   reports. R e t r i e v e d 0 6 D e c e m b e r, 2 0 1 6 @ https://www.hrw.org/reports/1999/nigeria/Nigew991-12.htm

Jinadu, L.A. (2005). The philosophical foundations and fundamental principles of Nigeria's foreign policy”.In U Joy Ogwu (Ed.) New horizons for Nigeria in world affairs. Lagos: Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, (pp. 17-28).

Kolawole, D. (2005). From isolation to globalization: Transformation of Nigeria's foreign policy from the Abacha regime to the Obasanjo administration. Pakistan Journal of Social Sciences. Pakistan: 3 Grace Publication.

Meerts, P.(2015). Diplomatic negotiation: Essence and evolution. Clingendael. Published Monograph. Retrieved 05 December, 2016 @ https://www.clingendael.nl/ sites/default/files/Diplomatic_Negotiatio n_Web_2015.pdf

Morgenthau, H.J.(1967).Politics among nations: The struggle for power and peace. 3rd ed., Alfred A. Knopf: New York.

Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative –NEITI(2016).NEITI as a Federal Government Agency. Retrieved 29 December,2016 @ http://neiti.org.ng/

Nwaeze, A.(2016). Buhari's frequent trips is draining Nigeria's purse- says GovFayose. Retrieved on 18 November 2016 @ http://buzznigeria.com/buharis-frequent- trips-is-draining-nigerias-purse-says-gov- fayose/

Ochuli,O. (n.d). Farming with Chinese and Japanese governance seeds. Retrieved on 11 November, 2016 @ https://www.laits.utexas.edu/africa/ads/1 593.html

Ofose, G. (2014). Nigeria image reached all-time low during Abacha's regime. Daily Independence.

Okerafor, T., (2011). Nigeria: Country's foreign policy since 1999. Retrieved 18 August 2 0 1 6 @ w w w. a l l a f r i c a . c o m / . . / 201107080804.html

Okonjo-Iweala, N. & Osafo-Kwaako , P. (2007).Nigeria's economic reforms: Progress and challenges. Brookings Global Economy and Development, Working Paper 6, Washington DC: The Brookings Institution,P.7

Olusanya, G.O. & Akindele, R.A. (1986). Nigeria's external relations: The first twenty five years. Ibadan: Ibadan University Press.

Onyearu, A.O. (2007, October 10).Citizen-centred diplomacy: The paradigm of change in Nigeria's foreign policy. Nigeria world. R e t r i e v e d ,   0 1   N o v e m b e r,   2 0 1 6 @http://nigeriaworld.com/articles/2007/oct/102.html

Osagie, J. (2007, 29 May). Nigeria: re-positioning Nigeria in the global arena. Lagos:Daily Champion.

Oyedoyin, T. (2002). Obasanjo woos foreign investors to Nigeria. Nigeria World News 18 July. Retrieved on 16th September, 2015 from www.nigeriaworld.com/feature/publication/oyedoyin/0718- 202.html.

Dauda, S & Bako U.Y(2012). Impact of shuttle diplomacy on foreign direct investment in Nigeria, 1999-2007. International Journal of Advanced Research in Management and Social Sciences. Vol.1. No. 6., December.

Saliu, H.A. (2007). External image management. In Saliu Hassan, et al (Eds.), Nigeria's reform programme: issues and challenges. Ibadan: Vantage Publishers.

Shuaib, Y.A. (2002, August 25). In defence of Obasanjo's foreign trips.Thisday.Lagos: ThisDay Newspaper Limited

Sklar, R.L. (2001) An Elusive Target: Nigeria fends off sanctions. In KunleAmuwo, Daniel C. Bach and Yann Lebeau (Eds.)Nigeria during the Abacha years (1993-1998). Ibadan, Nigeria: Institutfrancais de recherché enAfrique, Nigeria p. 259-287

ThisDay (2016, November 13). Nigeria, US relations under Donald Trump: The need for  greater  caution.   Retrieved   18 Novemeber, 2016 @http://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2016/11/13/nigeria-us-relations-under-donald-trump-the-need-for-greater-caution/

US Department of State (2008). 2008 Investment Climate Statement – Nigeria. Retrieved 16 October, 2016@ https://www.state.gov/ e/eb/ifd/2008/100994.htm

United Nations General Assembly resolution 50/199 on the Situation of Human Rights in Nigeria, December 22, 1995. Retrieved on the 23rd November, 2016 @ http://www.un.org/ga/50/list50.htm

Wapmuk, S. &Agbalajobi, D.T. (2012). The Obasanjo administration and the campaign for external debt Relief for Nigeria. Journal of Social Science and Policy Review, Volume 4, September.

Wolfers, A. (1962). Discord and collaboration: Essays on International politics. Baltimore: John Hopkins Press.\

Worldbank(2016). Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$). Retrieved 14 November,   2016   @    http   :   //data. w o r l d b a n k . o r g / i n d i c a t o r / BX.KLT.DINV.CD.WD? locations=NG