Nigeria’s National Interest and Interventions in West African Conflicts: A Critical Analysis

Abstract

It is obvious that the concept of national interest has always been considered as a leading factor in the formulation of foreign policies of sovereign states, including Nigeria. It is therefore recognized that the main policy in the conduct of foreign policy is invariably the promotion and pursuit of national interest. The issue of what constitutes Nigeria’s national interest has however been a subject of debate among scholars. While some scholars believe that Nigeria’s interventions in conflicts in West Africa is in line with her commitment to maintaining peace and security in the West African sub-region, others have argued that Nigeria's political ideology and national interest in the West African sub-region is vague, and that the country has no justifiable reasons to intervene in conflicts in the sub-region. They have maintained that from the economic point of view, such interventions are not necessary because at the end of the conflict that Nigeria intervened, there is no tangible economic interest at stake. Many Nigerians are in support of the above argument considering the enormous funds Nigeria spends in military interventions in Africa, especially in West Africa, while almost all the domestic sectors are yearning for attention, and the living standard of many Nigerians is grossly inadequate. This paper examines the rationale for Nigeria’s intervention in conflicts in West Africa, considering the high rate of insecurity and declining economy at home. The paper also investigates if Nigeria’s national interest is at stake to warrant her interventions in these conflicts