Minister, Experts and Diplomats Refine Roadmap for Tinubu’s 4Ds in Foreign Policy Thrust

Jonas Ezieke, Abuja

Minister of Foriegn Affairs Amb.Yussuf Tuggar, exerts on international relations and members of the Diplomatic Corps on Thursday converged and deliberated on the way forward for the 4Ds in the foriegn policy thrust of the President Tinubu administration

They converged at the public lecture with the theme: “The Foreign Policy Agenda under the Tinubu Administration’ organised by the Association of Retired Career Ambassadors of Nigeria ARCAN at the Routunda Ministry of Foreign Affairs Abuja

The event according to the lecturer was to present and stimulate discussions on the 4Ds which is foriegn policy thrust of the President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and to chart a roadmap for its implementation.

With regards to Nigeria’s foreign policy objectives, the Minister said that they exist and remain immovable because they are enshrined in our Constitution; they are, in summary; to promote and protect Nigeria’s national interest, to promote African integration and support African unity, promote international co-operation for the consolidation of universal peace and mutual respect among all nations and elimination of discrimination in all its manifestations.

Delivering the lecture, the Minister said that foriegn policy is about the strategies a nation adopted to achieve its national interest and objectives in relation with other nations adding that there is more to do in terms of proactiveness to deliver on these objectives

He noted that the Renewed Hope Agenda that catalogued President Tinubu’s promises during the Presidential campaign had reduced the objectives to three key issues Viz: to protect against all forms of external aggression, to promote the best possible outcomes for Nigeria in all engagements with other nations and to improve Nigeria’s standing and dignity among the comity if nations.

On the 4Ds of the foreign policy direction of the federal government under the new administration, he said identifies four key areas which includes democracy, demography, development and diaspora.

Democracy in the policy is the pathway to peace and stability of Africa and other nations around the world. Mature and liberal democracies are less probe to conflicts and ensure protection of human rights of the citizens.

Development in the policy thrust seeks to use diplomacy to achieve double digit growth for Nigeria combining agriculture, infrastructure and industrialization.

On demography, it speaks of Nigeria’s huge population as an asset and not a liability. With a huge population of 220 million people Nigeria is expected to take its huge population figure to become the third largest economy in the world by 2050.

Still on diaspora, the policy, is premised on the fact that there are many Nigerians living in many other countries of the world. The policy thrust noted that the image of the country that are being projected abroad by its citizens is what the image of the country abroad will be at all times.

It is therefore trite that Nigeria taps into its diaspora potentials to make the country a pride of place in all spheres in the comity of nations.

Foreign policy according to the ARCAN President Amb.John Shinkaiye is a very important, even crucial, aspect of any nation’s governance.

Therefore, the formulation and execution of the policy is crucial as decisions made in this aspect of the Nation’s governance have implications for Nigeria, the West Africa region, the African continent, and
even beyond.

He said that it is therefore important that a government sets appropriate priorities and strategies and identify potential challenges that it may face.

Members of the Diplomatic Corps who were present at the lecture agreed with the position of the lecturer and pledged to work harmoniously with the policy in the achievements of these set objectives.