Buhari Civilian Regime, Change Mantra and Nigeria's Foreign Policy: a Mid-term Assessment

Abstract

The election of President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) in April 2015 and the inauguration of his administration in May 2015 was seen by both local and international communities as a turning point in Nigeria's history. This is against the background of his reputation for discipline and integrity on one hand, and the All Progressive Congress (APC)'s promise of positive change in all spheres of national life on the other. On external relations, the President not only promised to reinvigorate Nigeria's foreign policy to ensure that the country regains its traditional vibrancy, vigour and commitment but also strike the right balance between the domestic reality and external environment. It is on the premise of this promise that this paper assesses PMB's conduct of foreign policy within the first two years of his civilian administration, using historical-descriptive-content analysis methodology. The analysis shows that there has been an improvement in the conduct of foreign policy, particularly in the areas of securing cooperation of neighbouring states and commitment of the global community toward fighting Boko Haram insurgency and corruption. However, the President's promise of change in terms of strengthening Nigeria's leadership position in Africa and linking her foreign policy with domestic socio-economic realities still remains a tall ambition. It is therefore concluded that PMB's civilian administration has not fundamentally altered the conduct of Nigeria's foreign policy as promised; it has indeed been a two-year foreign policy of change in continuity. Given the fact that the actualization of a country's foreign policy objectives is partly a function of its domestic socio-economic stability, PMB's international prowess and respect should be exploited to build a strong economy at home through a national interest propelled foreign policy. Doing this will enable Nigeria to close the gap between her domestic realities and her sub-regional, regional and global ambitions.