Institutional Reformer, Jonah Ubanmhen has continued to advocate for a new value-oriented diplomacy system in Nigeria after years of the previous administrations’ diplomacy strategy which tended towards isolationism. This point was made at a colloquium of experts on charting a new foreign policy for the new administration. The session noted that the Nation’s Foreign Policy should be able to transform the country into a place where diversity is respected and citizens can prosper.
In recent times, there has been a growing number of opinions from prominent Nigerians rallying around the idea that; to solve the Nation’sforeign policy concerns, Nigeria must consider a top-down approach. “There’s been one overt attempt to use foreign policy as a tool for domestic economic growth and create global confidence in Nigeria’s economy. There must be a significant shift in the way Nigeria is engaging the world” said Jonah. He added that the focus should essentially be on promoting value-oriented diplomacy. He noted that the threat Nigeria faces continues to evolve and new strategies are needed to deal with these challenges. One of these new strategies is the adoption of a Nigeria Exchange and Broadcast program that will enable Nigeria to have a clear and long-term vision.
As an Institutional Reformer, Jonah advocates that Nigeria makes a decisive shift in foreign policy a hallmark of her new administration to promote what he refers to as “a new era aimed at aggressively countering Nigeria’s isolation in places where she needs friends and sustainable development”. Jonah speaks of the need to expand partnerships beyond the small club of rich democracies to a group of developing economies within and outside Africa. This will guarantee much-desired diaspora support for free and open value-oriented diplomacy to aid peace and stability in Nigeria.
The Institutional Reformer posits that this move will set the country on a new pedestal and diplomatic precedent for Nigeria, which for some time, has been content as a follower rather than a leader in global affairs. Jonah advocates that the change to a new foreign policy for the country will showcase Nigeria’s new approach to foreign relations. “I want Nigeria to make large contributions to the peace and stability of the Global space through a new leaf in her diplomacy. “Neither diplomacy nor diplomatic language can be persuasive unless they are backed up by a working system that brings peace and sustainability to the Nigerian people,” he said.
Jonah tells KAFTAN Post that “the economy is not regional, the economy is global and interconnected.” He notes that it is important to work more closely with partners who are rooted in our shared values and shared vision of a free, peaceful, and prosperous world.
For Jonah, this new administration is a unique opportunity to start laying the foundations for that prosperous foreign policy driven by her huge diaspora population and the Nigeria Broadcast Exchange Programme. “We must go beyond the framework of Africa and cooperate with the wilder world, including close alliances. No more watching from the sidelines. Nigeria can and should stand shoulder to shoulder with more developed Nations and allies and pursue diplomacy with courage” he concluded.
