Nigeria is refocusing its foreign policy toward a more radical approach that will make for maximum economic benefit in the conduct of international relations.
"The mantra in the new foreign policy reform is to put Nigeria first in any relationship,'' the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, said in Abuja today. The new move is seen as a reaction to critics who have over the years accused government of running a ``Father Christmas`` foreign policy. The critics have remained particularly miffed that Nigeria had sunk so much human and material resources in so many international ventures with no interests attached to such costly gestures.
But Baba-Ahmed who spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said that the new orientation would make Nigeria ``a little bit more demanding from international involvement and engagements .''
Explaining that the reforms would not necessarily imply a mercenary approachin the conduct of foreign policy, the permanent secretary declared that Nigeria was only out to be ``more aggressive in pursuing national interests as well.''
He acknowledged Nigeria's sacrifices to the world especially in West and Southern Africa, and remarked that such sacrifices were incumbent on Nigeria as a leader of Africawho should share her blessings with others, Baba-Ahmed however added:``It is quite possible to be a big brother as well as a well off big brother. You do not have to be poor and wretched just because you want to play big brother''.
He said that the country must begin to think more Nigeria because ``the world does not owe us anything. But of course if we want to be crude, we do not owe the world anything either,'' he added.
While promising that Nigeria would never shirk its responsibility as a senior member of the international community, he said that government had a responsibility to ensure that the nation gained
from whatever Nigeria was involved in.
To prepare the foreign affairs ministry for the new task, he said that internal structural changes were already being put in place toward tapping the optimum from every staff.
He expressed satisfaction at the ``huge amount of enthusiasm'' generated among the staff by the new policy focus, and lauded the ministry's erstwhile minister Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for rallying
such support for the new vision.
"Honestly, I thought her departure will affect the reforms but we are lucky that the management staff really captured the vision. They recognised the reforms as theirs and have embraced it.
"It is the first major initiative for a very long time in this ministry and our desire is to set up the right leadership for attaining set goals,'' he said.
The official said that the working environment had been improved to make the ministry - the first contact point with the outside world - more attractive and restore the dignity of Nigeria.
"Ultimately, it is such first impression that determines whether or not we shall get a second look in the area of foreign investments,'' he said.
Baba-Ahmed decried the decay in the ministry over the years, a situation whereby the lifts and power generating plant would not work, while basic office items like photocopy or fax machines and stationery were completely lacking.
He said that the nation's foreign missions were being repositioned to carry out the reforms and added that many of the mission buildings would be reconstructed and equipped to acceptable modern standards.
"We already have the backing of President Olusegun Obasanjo who has approved our request for additional funding that would enable us put up necessary structure to keep our foreign staff abreast of happenings world wide.''
Baba-Ahmed said that plans had been completed to make all staff IT literate and compliant within the current digital standards, adding that laptops would soon be acquired for all of them.
"They (foreign service staff) would have to monitor and interpret happenings in the Middle East, Asia, Europe and other parts world because we cannot conduct a foreign policy on the basis of what we get from CNN.''
Baba-Ahmed hinted that the reforms would cost jobs, but assured those to be affected that they would be moved to other government agencies as the ministry had the ``best trained manpower in the country''.
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