Foreign Policy: Gambari advises FG to give priority to war against terrorism
Foreign Policy: Gambari advises FG to give priority to war against terrorism
Terrorism
By Lizzy Okoji
Abuja, July 31, 2019 (NAN) Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, Former Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, has advised the Federal Government to make war against terrorism one of its priorities in the country’s foreign policy.
Gambari gave the advice on Wednesday in Abuja while delivering a lecture at the 2019 Annual Lecture of the Association of Foreign Relations Professionals of Nigeria (AFRPN).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the theme of this year’s lecture was: “Theory and Reality in Nigeria’s Foreign Policy-making: Some further Reflections”.
According to Gambari, there is a linkage between a nation’s domestic process and its foreign policy, hence the importance of addressing the scourge of terrorism which is not peculiar to Nigeria alone.
He said that this was also in line with the objectives of the foreign policy of every country which sought to protect the lives of its citizens within and outside its territory.
Gambari explained that terrorism had become a global scourge requiring coordinated efforts to be combated at national, regional, continental and global levels.
He explained that the development had huge impacts on foreign policy and foreign policy process in all countries, including Nigeria.
“Terrorism is a major challenge in the global environment with activities and attacks of terrorist groups such as Boko Haram, Al Shabab, ISIS, Al-Qaida.
“Since terrorism respects no territorial boundaries, we must not allow such boundaries to be constrained in combating it.
“Therefore, in developing framework and action plans to combat terrorism and violent extremist groups in the sub-region, a multifaceted and comprehensive approach must be developed.
“This includes degrading their military capabilities and implementing peace building strategies which would address ignorance, a leading factor for terrorist recruits, spreading of conflict, poverty, unemployment, injustices and social inequality,” Gambari said.
In addition to combating terrorism, the former envoy said that Nigeria’s foreign policy should include development agenda, Foreign Service reform, Nigeria’s external economic and trade relations as well as utilising Nigerians in Diaspora.
He further explained that Nigeria must go beyond the slogan of “economic diplomacy” to mobilising its national potentials toward the development of the country.
Gambari said that the articulation of a foreign policy was not a luxury but rather, an external projection of Nigeria’s values in the promotion of its national interest and world views on issues.
In his remarks, Amb. Gani Lawal, AFRPN’s President, said that the annual lecture was a platform for the organisation and stakeholders to critically discuss issues of national interest, particularly in foreign policy making.
Lawal said that it was in the realm of realising these policies that AFRPN and other stakeholders would look at the theories and realities in today’s foreign policy making, with deep reflections.
“AFRPN hopes that the lecture will afford the foreign policy professionals and policy makers the opportunity to adapt suitable theories with the will of placing Nigeria in a high global pedestal.
“There is the need for a viable platform where the narratives of domestic policies are fully articulated and engineered by professionals and stakeholders alike with a view to constructing and formulating our foreign policies.
“In a global system, most times with conflicting interests, Nigeria is caught in a web of manoeuvring its foreign policy in order to achieve its national interest.
“The international environment is confronted with different categories of opportunities and threats, with each requiring unique approach and sometimes, a combination of more than one approach to combat it,”, he said.
In his remarks, the Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, said that the association was very important to the country because of the human capital investment in it.
Sanusi, who was represented by Amb. Ahmed Umar, Damaliki of Kano, said thatAFRPN consisted of a high number of professionals, who had served Nigeria professionally, hence the need to harness their human resources for the progress of the country.
The royal father said that the experiences of the professionals would help provide policy options for the government which, he added, would give Nigeria a greater leverage in the conduct of its foreign affairs. (NAN)
LIZ/WAS/AFA
==========
Edited by ‘Wale Sadeeq/Felix Ajide