Sanusi, Gambari Warn: Nigeria Risks Foreign Policy Drift Without Career Diplomats
Eminent Nigerian statesmen, diplomats and scholars have called for an urgent return to professionalism in Nigeria’s foreign service, warning that the weakening of diplomatic institutions could undermine the country’s capacity to navigate an increasingly volatile global environment.
The call was made on Thursday in Abuja at the 8th Annual Conference and Lecture of the Association of Foreign Relations Professionals of Nigeria (AFRPN), held at the Rotunda Hall of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Speaking at the event, the Sarkin Kano, His Royal Highness Khalifa Muhammad Sanusi II, delivered a strong appeal for the restoration of career diplomacy as the foundation of Nigeria’s foreign policy. He noted that the world has entered a permanent state of uncertainty, arguing that “interesting times” are no longer a temporary phase.
According to him, the key challenge facing nations today is not predicting global changes, but developing the intellectual and institutional capacity to respond effectively to them.
“Whoever is entrusted with our foreign policy must have the ability to adapt to new realities,” Sanusi said, stressing that while history and experience offer guidance, only well-trained career diplomats can consistently protect national interests.
Drawing from historical experience, the monarch recalled that his late father, a former Permanent Secretary, ensured that all Nigerian ambassadors during his tenure were career diplomats. He said the diplomatic successes recorded during the decolonisation era demonstrated the value of professionalism when properly supported.
While acknowledging the place of political appointments, Sanusi urged a return to a system in which at least 75 per cent of ambassadors—particularly in strategic missions—are career diplomats. He likened foreign policy appointments to other specialised professions, asking, “You do not appoint a chief medical director who is not a medical doctor. How can we be so casual about foreign policy?”
Sanusi also revisited his father’s long-standing opposition to the merger of the Foreign Office with the Home Office, describing it as unfinished business that weakened the professional identity of Nigeria’s diplomatic service. He concluded by offering royal blessings to AFRPN and pledging financial support for the association’s journal launch.
Earlier, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, former Chief of Staff to late President Muhammadu Buhari and Chairman of the occasion, placed Nigeria’s diplomatic challenges within a wider global context.
Tracing global developments from the Second World War through the Cold War to the current undefined era, Gambari said today’s world is shaped more by long-term forces than by short-term events. He recalled a famous exchange in the 1970s in which a Chinese leader described the impact of the French Revolution as “too early to tell,” underscoring the importance of thinking in centuries rather than electoral cycles.
According to Gambari, foreign policy must therefore be guided by enduring strategic perspectives rather than daily political pressures. He warned that globalisation has not only spread economic opportunity but has also globalised discontent, particularly among those excluded from its benefits.
“Today, the discontent with democracy itself has become globalised,” he said, cautioning that unless democracy delivers tangible benefits to citizens, frustration and instability will deepen worldwide.
In his welcome address, the President of AFRPN, Professor Lawal Gani, reaffirmed the association’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s diplomatic capacity through training, mentorship and policy engagement.
He said AFRPN provides free training programmes for serving and aspiring diplomats, military officers, senior security officials and ambassadors, focusing on practical diplomatic skills, protocol and international engagement.
Gani praised Professor Gambari for his continued mentorship and support, noting that the association regularly submits policy recommendations to government on issues including BRICS engagement, ECOWAS and African Union reforms, and Nigeria’s bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.
He identified Nigeria’s core national interests as economic development, combating insurgency and corruption, and protecting Nigerians in the diaspora, stressing that foreign policy must be aligned to mobilise resources toward these objectives.
Delivering the keynote lecture, the African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, said democracy remains central to the AU’s normative framework, making it the only intergovernmental body with zero tolerance for unconstitutional changes of government.
However, Adeoye warned that democracy in Africa faces growing challenges, not because of its principles, but due to its failure in some cases to deliver meaningful benefits to citizens.
“The challenge before us is not simply to defend democratic forms,” he said, “but to ensure that democracy delivers and remains relevant to African realities.”
He added that while mega-trends such as technology, demography and global uncertainty are shaping Africa’s future, they are not destiny. According to him, democratic consolidation will depend on how African societies adapt and reform governance systems to meet the expectations of their people.
