Yusuf Tuggar, Nigeria's foreign affairs minister, at the Berlin Global Dialogue in Berlin, Germany, on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024. The forum runs until Wednesday, Oct. 2. Photographer: Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has warned that excessive alignment with global powers could drag Nigeria into avoidable conflicts and undermine its sovereignty.
Tuggar made the assertion while delivering the inaugural lecture of the Institute of Diplomatic Practice, Culture and Language Development at Achievers University, where he advocated strategic autonomy as the most viable path for Nigeria in a complex global order.
He explained that strategic autonomy is rooted in Nigeria’s long-standing non-aligned foreign policy, noting that the country has historically prioritised independent judgment and national interest.
According to him, this approach is now being refined to suit a more fragmented and multipolar global environment.
Tuggar cautioned that countries that surrender their agency in pursuit of security guarantees risk becoming entangled in conflicts they neither initiated nor can control.
“Nigeria and Africa have challenges enough of their own. We cannot afford to become collateral damage in competitions we did not design,” he said.
He stressed that while Nigeria should remain engaged globally, its foreign policy must align with national and continental priorities, including peacekeeping and democratic support.
The former minister noted that the current administration’s foreign policy is anchored on the Four-D doctrine—Democracy, Development, Demography and Diaspora—designed to ensure coherence and purposeful engagement.
On economic positioning, Tuggar criticised Africa’s extractive economic model, urging a shift toward value creation and industrialisation to achieve true independence.
He also highlighted reforms introduced during his tenure, including the establishment of an Artificial Intelligence Unit and the Regional Partnership for Democracy, as well as broader diplomatic engagements across multiple countries.
In his remarks, Acting Vice-Chancellor of Achievers University, Oyesoji Aremu, described the lecture as a milestone in advancing diplomatic studies.
The Pro-Chancellor, Bode Ayorinde, represented by Omolola Irinoye, commended the institute’s establishment as a forward-looking initiative.
Also speaking, the institute’s Director, Bola Akinterinwa, emphasised the need for intellectual depth in diplomacy, while Babatunde Emmanuel called for stronger focus on technology and industrialisation.
Fidelis David
