Association of Foreign Relations Professionals to Hold Annual Lecture on Thursday July 27 in Abuja Nigeria

 

 

Jonas Ezieke, Abuja

 

A group of retired and serving Foreign Service Officers of Nigeria under the auspices of Association of Foreign Relations Professionals of Nigeria,

(AFRPN) on Tuesday said it has completed preparation for its fifth annual lecture scheduled for 3:00 pm on Thursday, 27th July, 2023 at the Rotunda Hall, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Abuja, Nigeria.

 

 

This was announced by its Chairman Amb.Dr Gani Lawal at a press briefing which centred on the topic of the lecture which is, “Examining the Nexus between Foreign Policy Goals and Democratic Governance” in Nigeria.

 

 

The retired career diplomat and his colleagues said that the topic is carefully chosen to create an opportunity to listen to the perspectives of consummate diplomats and statesmen who had been for decades,in the forefront of governance and diplomacy and are still committed to the advocacy for peace, growth and economic development of Africa.

 

He said that there is no better time than now to dissect this topic when our country is just transiting from one democratic government to

another.

 

The annual lecture will be delivered by no less a personality than the former President of South Africa and the first commonwealth chairperson-in

office.Mr Thabo Mbeki.

 

The chairman of the occasion according to the organizers is Chief

Emeka Anyaoku a former Foreign Minister of Nigeria and the third Commonwealth Secretary-General.

 

Other dignataries expected to grace the occasion include the Vice -President, Senator Kashim Shettima Mustapha, who is the Chief Host while the Sultan of

Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar is has been selected as the father of the

day of the occasion.

 

The Association of Foreign Relations Professionals of Nigeria (AFRPN) is a

society of foreign relations experts consisting of serving and retired career

diplomats and ambassadors, scholars, and researchers on foreign policy and

international relations.

 

AFRPN’s vision is to work with decision makers to make Nigeria and, by implication, Africa, a great player and respected voice within the

international arena.

 

Foreign policy is an extension of internal policy dictated by the vagaries of the external environment.

 

It is crafted around what a nation wants

and does not want on the basis of its national interests from the global stage.

 

It is often said that there is no permanent friend or enemy in the international environment but permanent interest, and as national interests evolve, a friend today can become an enemy tomorrow.

 

It expidient therefore that a nation will weave its national interest around the weight of its Military industrial complex and natural resources to earn a favourable comparable edge in the global intercourse.

 

At present, the national interest of Nigeria is to build a strong economic base, fight insurgency and terrorism and decapitate the corruption monster.

 

Therefore, finding resources to actualize these interests in the international arena remains the cornerstone of Nigeria foreign policy goals.

 

Democratic governance the group noted offers the best approach to pursue these foreign policy goals.

 

The maxim that foreign policy is an extension of internal policy is better

illustrated by Nigeria’s insistence on zero tolerance for military coups and

undemocratic change of government

 

in Africa, this requires that Nigeria must

demonstrate exemplary leadership by tenaciously nurturing and deepening its

internal democracy and assist less powerful countries to maintain their

democracy.