Changing Dynamics of Nigeria’s Foreign Policy Issues and Concern in the Context of Security Challenges

Changing Dynamics of Nigeria’s Foreign Policy Issues

Abstract

The issue of national security is one that has been on the top list of the Nigerian government in recent years. It has become 
a matter of concern, not only domestically, but also internationally. The essence of any state as well as government is to 
ensure and advance the security of lives and property of its citizens. As a result, providing security in all spheres ranging 
from safeguarding the territorial integrity, security of lives and property of the citizens as well as economic emancipation 
have constitute the core objectives cum national interest of virtually all nations’ foreign policy in the world. In view of this 
imperative above, Nigeria has enshrined in her 1999 constitution as amended, as its duty and responsibility as a state, to 
ensure security of lives and property of its citizens. The objective of the study therefore is to examine security challenges 
of the country since the country returned to democracy in 1999 and its implications for our external relations. The paper 
adopted Relative Deprivation theory as its theoretical framework and qualitative method was employed in generating 
data for this study from documentary evidence such as official documents, textbooks, journals, magazines and 
newspapers.
The findings of the paper show that although Nigeria may appear to not to have done much to realistically and objectively 
tackle the security challenges, the trends leading to this situation are reversible, if seriously proactive and sustained 
measures could be adopted by the Nigerian Government. The implication of this is that policymakers have the duty to 
arrest this drift through good governance, social justice and development. Thus, to address the security problem in Nigeria 
is in effect, to address its crisis of development which will inevitably have positive effect on our foreign policy