Diplomacy at Crossroads: Challenges of Nigeria’s Foreign Service

Emmanuel I. Umeonyirioha^1,

¹School of International Relations/Research School for South East Asian Studies, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian Province, China

Cite this paper:
Emmanuel I. Umeonyirioha. Diplomacy at Crossroads: Challenges of Nigeria’s Foreign Service. World Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities. 2020; 6(1):8-14. doi: 10.12691/wjssh-6-1-2

Abstract

This paper surveys the myriad challenges that confront and frustrate the fulfillment of Nigeria’s diplomatic visions and missions overseas. There is a wide-spread understanding and acceptance that Nigeria’s foreign and diplomatic missions operate below expectation. This is more so when comparisonis made between Nigeria’s diplomatic performance and those of the developed and well-ordered societies of the world. Nigeria’s foreign policy through its missions abroad is expected to improve the lots of its citizens living overseas, bring the country’s national and domestic interests to the stage of actualization, and project the country’s image as good before the comity of nations etc. To these expectations, the Nigerian state and its diplomacy leave much to be desired. Among other explanations for this failure of diplomacy are infiltration of the diplomatic profession by non-careerists who by their unprofessionalism, have shown to be foreigners in the foreign service; wanton corruption by the political class which frustrates foreign services; inadequacy of financial resources needed for role performance leading to embarrassments and difficulty in the timely payments of bills etc. The paper concludes that it is both imperative and compelling for the executive government of Nigeria to wake up to these challenges as a matter of urgency, if Nigeria must play an active role that befits its status in international affairs.

Keywords:
diplomacy foreign mission diplomats challenges

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