Nigeria must lead more in Africa

By Wale Osofisan, PhD

President Bola Tinubu›s administration has an opportunity to make Nigeria›s role in Africa one of the defining priorities of a second term. The country›s domestic challenges (economic hardship, insecurity, unemployment and the cost of living) are urgent. But they do not make foreign policy any less important. They are reasons to make it more purposeful.

Nigeria›s security, investment prospects, trade, energy interests and international reputation are increasingly shaped by events beyond its borders. A country that engages effectively with its neighbours is better positioned to address cross-border insecurity, expand markets for its businesses and protect its interests when international disputes arise.

This is why Nigeria needs a clearer and more ambitious African agenda.

Foreign policy is a domestic priority

In April last year, while holidaying in Cape Town with Nigerian friends, I asked why Nigeria had not appointed ambassadors to several foreign missions. I was told that the country had too many domestic problems to deal with first.

I understood the pressures facing Nigeria, but I found the argument troubling. It suggested that foreign policy could wait until domestic problems had been resolved. In today›s interconnected world, that separation no longer makes sense. The administration has begun to close that gap, from the ambassadors posted in March 2026 to its efforts to rebuild ties with Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.

The controversy surrounding the «Christian genocide» narrative in Nigeria illustrated the point. The allegations and their characterisation were disputed, but the international consequences were real. President Donald Trump threatened action against Nigeria, while the country faced the challenge of explaining its complex security situation and correcting representations it considered inaccurate. The administration has since engaged seriously on the issue, with National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu working closely with Washington, including through the US-Nigeria Joint Working Group, to deepen security cooperation and present Nigeria›s account of the violence.

The appointment of ambassadors would not, by itself, have prevented the controversy. But it reinforced the importance of diplomatic presence, relationships and communication. Nigeria must be able to explain its position, influence international discussions and protect its interests before crises escalate.

This is particularly important to President Tinubu›s ambition to attract foreign investment. Investors consider not only Nigeria›s population and resources, but also its regional relationships, security environment, access to markets and ability to operate as a gateway to Africa.

Where is Nigeria›s African agenda?

The administration has articulated its 4Ds framework: Demography, Development, Diaspora and Democracy. The challenge is translating these priorities into a coherent African strategy supported by sustained presidential attention, clear objectives and capable people.

A photograph of the Emir of Qatar seated between President Félix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and President Paul Kagame of Rwanda brought this issue into focus. The meeting took place in Doha on 18 March 2025, as Qatar hosted the two leaders in efforts to ease the conflict in eastern DRC.

My immediate reaction was that this was the kind of engagement an African president should ideally lead. President Tinubu, President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa or President William Ruto of Kenya could, in principle, play a more prominent role in bringing African leaders together to resolve African conflicts.

Qatar›s intervention did not resolve the conflict, but it demonstrated how a country can use relationships, resources and sustained diplomacy to establish itself as an influential intermediary. African countries should not have to look primarily outside the continent when seeking solutions to African crises.

Nigeria has the population, diplomatic history, regional relationships and experience to contribute meaningfully. Its peacekeeping and conflict-resolution efforts in Liberia and Sierra Leone helped establish its reputation as a country willing to shoulder responsibilities beyond its borders.

That history should be a foundation for renewed engagement, not merely something to celebrate in speeches.

Nigeria does not need to insert itself into every dispute. Influence must be earned through preparation, credibility, relationships and the willingness to remain engaged when negotiations become difficult. But Nigeria should identify where its diplomatic weight can make a difference and what it wants to achieve by using it.

What Nigeria stands to gain

A more active African foreign policy would advance Nigeria›s national interests in at least three ways.

First, regional stability is directly connected to Nigeria›s security. Armed groups, illicit trafficking and weapons move across borders. Nigeria›s security cannot be separated from the stability of its neighbours and the wider Sahel.

The withdrawal of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger from ECOWAS in January 2025 has made regional cooperation more difficult. Yet these countries remain important to West African security, trade and migration. Nigeria should sustain its outreach to their governments by preserving practical security cooperation and seeking common ground on economic interests.

Second, stronger diplomacy could expand opportunities for Nigerian businesses. The African Continental Free Trade Area offers a major opportunity for manufacturers, agricultural producers, financial institutions, technology companies and service providers. But agreements do not automatically create trade.

The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, working with the National Action Committee on AfCFTA, is already supporting export readiness, trade facilitation and access to regional markets. The next step is to ensure that businesses experience practical results: lower barriers, better transport connections, easier access to finance and consistent implementation of trade rules.

Nigeria›s foreign missions should help identify credible buyers and partners, assist Nigerian firms in navigating local regulations, report barriers to Abuja and bring governments, businesses and financial institutions together around specific opportunities. Their performance should be measured partly by the markets opened, partnerships facilitated and obstacles resolved.

Third, Nigeria should help African countries negotiate more effectively with major external powers. Competition over critical minerals, energy, infrastructure, digital technology and strategic trade routes will shape Africa›s future.

This is not an argument for turning away from the United States, China, Europe, the Gulf States or other partners. It is an argument for engaging them from a position of greater African coordination. Nigeria should help shape common African approaches to resource processing, technology transfer, infrastructure financing and access to international markets.

Nigeria›s leadership can attract investment

Nigeria›s continental role also has a direct bearing on President Tinubu›s investment agenda.

Companies are more likely to invest in Nigeria if they can manufacture here and sell across West Africa, establish regional operations or participate in wider African value chains. Nigeria›s large domestic market is important, but its proposition becomes stronger when combined with access to a more stable, connected and integrated region.

That opportunity requires diplomacy. Nigeria must work with other governments to address trade barriers, improve transport links, strengthen regional energy markets and make cross-border business easier.

The objective should not simply be to persuade foreign companies to bring capital into Nigeria. It should be to make Nigeria a place from which businesses can invest, produce and compete across Africa. That would give Nigeria›s leadership a clear economic purpose.

A strategic pathway for Nigeria’s leadership

In a second term, the administration could strengthen Nigeria’s continental role through five practical steps that build on existing efforts.

First, the administration can set out a clear African foreign policy agenda focused on rebuilding practical cooperation in West Africa, including with Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger; supporting conflict prevention; accelerating intra-African trade; and strengthening Africa›s negotiating position on investment and critical resources. Each priority should have specific objectives, responsible officials and measurable outcomes.

Second, it should back the ambassadors posted in March 2026 with the resources to work. Missions should have clear mandates and be held accountable for political, security and commercial results.

Third, Nigeria can invest more in mediation and conflict prevention. Working with the African Union, ECOWAS and other institutions, it should identify emerging disputes, maintain relationships with political leaders and help bring parties together before conflicts become harder to resolve. The administration need not mediate every crisis, but it should personally champion initiatives where Nigeria has credibility and influence.

Fourth, economic diplomacy could work better for African businesses. Nigerian missions can help firms enter new markets, encourage partnerships and pursue cooperation in energy, agriculture, manufacturing, financial services, digital technology and the creative industries.

Finally, Nigeria can build stronger partnerships with African leaders and institutions. Continental leadership is not exercised only through summits. It is built through regular engagement, practical proposals and the patient work of following through on commitments.

The opportunity before Nigeria

Nigeria has the history, relationships and economic weight to do more in Africa. Its domestic challenges and its place in the world are closely connected.

My experience working on humanitarian and development issues across Africa has shown me how often national efforts are constrained by regional realities. Trade routes, insecurity, investment decisions, regional politics and the movement of people do not stop at national boundaries. Yet responses are often organised country by country, with too little attention to the relationships and decisions that shape their success.

Nigeria has an opportunity to close that gap. A second term could turn Nigeria›s continental potential into a deliberate strategy that advances regional stability, expands opportunities for Nigerian businesses and strengthens the country›s appeal to investors.

Nigeria›s leadership should be measured not simply by the positions it occupies or the summits it hosts, but by what changes as a result: the partnerships established, the markets opened, the conflicts it helps prevent and the investment and jobs that follow.

•Wale Osofisan, PhD, is a governance strategist, international development expert and policy analyst. He can be reached via [email protected].

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