Nigerian To Review Foreign Policy

PHOTO: NIGERIAN FOREIGN AFAIRS MINISTER, MR. ODEIN AJUMOGOBIA (SAN).

ABUJA, April 26, (THEWILL) - The Federal Government has concluded plans to carry out a comprehensive review of the nation’s foreign policy to make it more advantageous to Nigerians.

Also it has mapped out plans to upgrade the standards of Nigerian foreign missions across the world.

The policy review was one of the major issues discussed at a meeting between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the members of the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs Monday in Abuja.

Both the Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Odein Ajumogobia and the Chairman House Committee on Foreign Affairs Umar Bature agreed that the nation’s foreign policy has become obsolete and does not adequately protect the interest of Nigerians as envisaged in the 1999 Constitution.

The officials agreed on the need to review the nation’s foreign policy to make the country its center point as against the focus on Africa as currently obtainable.

Speaking at the meeting, Bature said his committee is out to ensure a successful review of the policy to bring it to conformity with the provisions of chapter two of the 1999 constitution which puts the nation’s interest ahead of that of Africa

Section 19 of Chapter two of the Constitution read: "The foreign policy objectives shall be - (a) promotion and protection of the national interest; (b) promotion of African integration and support for African unity; (c) promotion of international co-operation for the consolidation of universal peace and mutual respect among all nations and elimination of discrimination in all its manifestations; (d) respect for international law and treaty obligations as well as the seeking of settlement of international disputes by negotiation, mediation, conciliation, arbitration and adjudication; and  (e) promotion of a just world economic order."

However speaking at the meeting the Minister called for the support of the lawmakers for the re-appropriation of the N3.6 billion unspent capital fund of the ministry to enable the ministry complete the head office.

He said though the unspent budget was returned to the treasury in line with Presidential directives, no fund was appropriated for the building in 2010 budget.