Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, has called for stronger intellectual collaboration to drive the nation’s foreign policy, while reaffirming Nigeria’s pursuit of Strategic Autonomy in global affairs.
Tuggar made the call during his working visit to the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) in Lagos, where he praised the Institute for over six decades of thought leadership in shaping Nigeria’s foreign policy direction.
He commended the NIIA’s management and scholars for forging partnerships with institutions such as the Nigeria Customs Service, the Armed Forces, the Department of State Services, and the private sector. According to him, these collaborations have delivered concrete outcomes, including modern training facilities, an Early Warning System, upgraded libraries, and a Cultural Diplomacy Centre.
In a keynote address titled “Policy Practice with Emerging Global Dynamics,” the Minister said Nigeria’s foreign policy under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is anchored on four pillars: Democracy, Demography, Development, and Diaspora. He explained that Strategic Autonomy is essential for Nigeria to safeguard national interests without compromising its moral and ethical values.
Tuggar also unveiled the Ministry’s Regional Partnership for Democracy (RPD) Programme, a platform to help African nations strengthen democratic institutions and practices rooted in their own histories and cultures. “Africa must own its democratic journey; no one holds a patent on how democracy is expressed,” he said.
He urged the NIIA to deepen synergy with the Foreign Service Academy to train the next generation of diplomats and policy innovators, stressing that the Institute remains critical to providing the intellectual foundation for Nigeria’s foreign policy ambitions.
