Defending the Africa Renaissance: A Critique of Nigeria Policy of Afrocentrism

Abstract

Nigeria’s commitment to the development of the Africa project through it foreign policy of afrocentrism has been unparalleled but without corresponding values for the Nigerian people.  Moreover,  There is currently a disconnect between Nigeria external policies especially as regard pan-Africanism from current domestic realities such as; dwindling national reserves, increasing debt profile, corruption complex, insecurity and high rate of unemployment. This work interrogates the sustenance of Nigeria Afrocentric foreign policy against the backdrop of global realities and domestic challenges. It also reviews Nigeria foreign policy since independence. It attempts an evaluation of the Afrocentric foreign policy against the backdrop of Nigeria’s national interest. This work concludes that the Afrocentric foreign policy of the Nigeria state can no longer be sustained due to compelling domestic exigencies and consequently, recommend a re-evaluation in pursuit of concrete national interest in the international environment.

Keywords: Foreign policy, Afrocentrism, Africa Renaissance, domestic challenges, National interest.