Addressing Nigeria’s Strategic Partnership Challenges

To say that Nigeria is one of the most prominent African
countries is, perhaps, saying the obvious.

Apart from the
demographic factor which conferred on Nigeria the status of the most populous
African country, economic factors also contributed to the depiction of Nigeria
as the   “Giant of Africa’’.

The popularity of
Nigeria in the comity of nations has transformed the country into a force to be
reckoned with in international affairs and cooperation as well as in West
Africa’s integration efforts.

International
affairs experts note that Nigeria has become a desirable partner to advanced
countries such as the U.S., Britain, China, France Germany, India and South
Africa.

They say that this is partly attributable to Nigeria’s rich
agricultural and mineral resources, which have continued to open new vistas of
economic, regional and international cooperation for the country.

The experts note that Nigeria’s growing influence in world
affairs is largely stimulated by its vast oil and gas resources.

With a maximum crude oil production capacity of 2.5 million
barrels per day, Nigeria ranks as Africa’s largest producer of oil and the
sixth largest oil producing country in the world.

Nigeria even appears to have a greater potential for gas
than oil. For instance, the country’s gas production in the year 2000 was
approximately 1,681.66 billion scf.

Out of the figure, 1,3715 billion scf was associated gas,
while the remaining 310.16 billion was non-associated gas, according to a
web-based publication of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

Experts believe that these factors, among others, have made
Nigeria a dependable ally in social, political and economic blocs.

Truly, since its political independence in 1960, Nigeria has
promoted the formation and sustenance of regional groupings such as Economic
Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS), African Union (AU), while
contributing a lot to United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations across the
world.

Most of these efforts were aimed at fostering economic
cooperation, increased trade and investment, manpower development, peace and
security, cultural relations as well as industrial development.

Besides, the huge Nigerian market has made the country a
focus of many emerging economies like China, India and South Africa, which are
scrambling to take advantage of the vast market potential for their goods and
services.

Observers, however, maintain that in the globalised economy
of the 21st Century civilisation, no nation can survive in isolation.

They, nonetheless, insist that in spite of the
interdependence of nations of the world, there are some missing links in
Nigeria’s strategic partnerships with other countries.

Prof. Ogaba Oche, the Acting Director of the Department of
Research and Studies, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA),
Lagos, concedes that Nigeria’s strategic partnerships are somewhat not
balanced.

“There is obviously no reciprocity in Nigeria’s past and
present partnerships; this is not healthy for our national interests,’’ he
says, adding: “Nigeria deserves more than a fair share from her increasing
partnerships.’’

He stresses that the perceptible imbalance is an indication
that the country is inadvertently going through another round of neo-colonialism.

Oche insists that Nigeria’s present greatest challenge
nowadays is how derive maximum benefits from her bilateral, regional and global
partnerships.

He argues that the current imbalance in Nigeria’s
partnership with other countries has somewhat created an opening for some kind
of exploitation and dislocation in her overall development plans.

This development, among other challenges, has compelled
development experts to raise certain questions on Nigeria’s strategic
partnerships. “Why has Nigeria continued to enter into new partnerships? ‘’
some of them ask.

Attempting to answer such queries, Oche emphasises that
Nigeria remains very important to many countries, particularly because of its
status as an emerging market.

“No country can afford to ignore Nigeria for any reasons
whatsoever,’’ he says.

However, Prof. Garth Le Pere of University of Pretoria,
South Africa, says that one challenge inhibiting the fulfilment of Nigeria’s
partnerships is that the institutions established for managing the ventures do
not impact positively on the citizens’ lives.

He explains that a strategic partnership between countries
can only take place meaningfully it is based on equality of the partners.

“We have a situation whereby countries in Europe and America
always think of what can be done for countries like Nigeria, ‘’ Le Pere says.

Amb. Mokgethi Moniasa, Consul-General of South African High
Commission to Nigeria, nonetheless, says that strategic partnerships among
countries are very desirable, as they tend to fast-track the development of the
countries’ economies.

On Nigeria-South Africa relations, the envoy notes that the
economic partnership existing between the two countries is potent and
consistent.

Describing the partnership existing between Nigeria and
South Africa as very important, Moniasa insists that some factors still hinder
the pragmatic fulfilment of the goals of the partnership.

“South Africa depends largely on Nigeria’s crude oil and
cannot do away with Nigeria,’’ he says, adding, however, that both countries
ought to derive maximum mutual benefits from their partnership.

From all indications, however, Nigeria is set to fully
harness the benefits that can accrue from her partnership with other nations of
the world.

This is because President Goodluck Jonathan has repeatedly
stressed the need for Nigeria to exploit the potential of her partnership with
other countries for development purposes.

For instance, Jonathan recently challenged Nigerian
ambassadors, who were recently posted out to some countries, to strive to use
multilateral diplomacy for the benefit of Nigeria in efforts to foster her
economic development in an ever-changing world.

“Your responsibility to attract investments into the country
and open up markets for our local goods and services cannot be
over-emphasised,’’ he enjoined the envoys.

However, Dr Chibuzo Nwoke of the Nigerian Institute of
International Affairs (NIIA) believes that the ultimate goal of any bilateral
cooperation involving Nigeria should centre on transforming Nigeria from an exporter
of raw materials to a manufacturer of goods.

Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, the joint African Union (AU)-United
Nations (UN) Special Representative for Darfur, asserts that efforts should be
made to turn Nigeria’s strategic partnerships into purposeful ventures.

He says that this can be achieved by defending core national
interests, while ensuring security of lives, good governance and development in
the country.

Gambari, who is an ex-Minister of External Affairs,
nonetheless, insists that one of surest ways in which Nigeria can derive
maximum benefits from her strategic partnerships is by seeking knowledge-based
development which is particularly hinged on the application of science and
technology.

Asije is of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Victor Asije