Nigeria pushes strategic autonomy as global power rivalry intensifies

Nigeria has called for greater strategic autonomy for African countries amid intensifying global power rivalry, urging the continent to pursue partnerships that protect its national interests, mobilise domestic resources and accelerate economic development.

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, made the call at the Berlin Global Dialogue 2026 in Germany, where he advocated a foreign policy approach that prioritises African interests while promoting mutually beneficial economic partnerships with global powers.

In a statement signed by Raphael Oni, Special Assistant on Digital Media and Public Diplomacy in the Office of the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, and dated October 22, Enikanolaiye said Africa’s engagement with the international community should be anchored on sovereignty, mutual respect, commitment to African priorities and shared prosperity.

Speaking at a high-level panel titled Foreign Policy by Other Means: Trade, Technology, and Geopolitical Power and a policy lab on infrastructure and investment, the minister said African countries were determined to shape their development priorities rather than depend excessively on external support.

“Africa has come to this conversation with great assets, substantial opportunities and a determination to shape its own development based on partnership with the rest of the world,” he said.

Enikanolaiye observed that international diplomacy was moving away from rigid political alliances towards more pragmatic, flexible and transaction-focused relationships, requiring African countries to adopt strategies that advance their national interests.

He traced the historical relationship between business and diplomacy, from the Royal Niger Company to multinational corporations operating in Africa after independence, and said the continent’s marginal position in the global economy underscored the need to mobilise domestic resources.

Citing a public offer by Nigerian industrialist Aliko Dangote that attracted subscriptions from more than 52 countries, the minister stressed that foreign investment should complement rather than replace domestic capital.

“Foreign capital can only complement but cannot replace the kind of resources that we need,” he said.

He said the government’s responsibility was to create an enabling environment for private enterprise, citing Nigeria’s role in regional security through the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) operations in Liberia and Sierra Leone as an example of how regional stability could support economic expansion.

According to him, the interventions helped create conditions for Nigerian banks to expand their operations across the region.

On the implications of competition among major global powers, Enikanolaiye said Nigeria’s strategic autonomy would enable it to engage with different political and economic blocs without compromising its national interests.

“It allows us a space of action regardless of ideology or political complexion of the various blocs to advance our own national interest, including those of Nigerian companies,” he said.

The minister also called for a shift away from the export of unprocessed mineral resources, urging African countries to prioritise local processing and value addition to create jobs and retain more economic benefits within the continent.

He said the Federal Government was requiring investors in the mining sector to establish local processing industries, alongside stricter oversight to protect the environment and host communities.

“We learned from our experience in the Niger Delta. We are now doing things differently to give rights to local communities where minerals are found,” he said.

On infrastructure development, Enikanolaiye identified reliable electricity, efficient intermodal transport and expanded digital connectivity as essential to increasing production, creating jobs and meeting the needs of Africa’s growing population.

He also identified electricity metering as an investment opportunity, noting that improved revenue collection could help strengthen the financial sustainability of the power sector.

The minister said African governments had introduced reforms to attract investment through macroeconomic stabilisation, deregulation and the review of outdated laws.

However, he stressed that attracting long-term capital would require well-prepared projects, predictable regulations, transparent procurement processes and credible risk-sharing mechanisms.

He highlighted the roles of the African Export-Import Bank, the African Development Bank, the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development, and the newly established African Credit Rating Agency in Mauritius in providing guarantees and blended financing to reduce investment risks.

On regional economic integration, Enikanolaiye cited Africa’s average economic growth of 4.3 per cent and the ambition to raise it to seven per cent, alongside efforts to strengthen cross-border trade and financial transactions.

He identified Nigeria’s single-window system and the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), launched in January 2026, as initiatives that could facilitate trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area.

“We need to trade more among ourselves to develop competitive advantages,” he said.

Enikanolaiye also called for reforms to the international credit rating system, arguing that African economies needed fairer assessments to improve access to affordable financing.

He linked the continent’s prospects in artificial intelligence to the availability of reliable electricity, stressing that technological advancement would depend on sustainable power infrastructure.

On human capital development, the minister advocated a review of technical education curricula, improved skills acquisition and greater use of diaspora remittances to finance development projects amid declining official development assistance.

ALSO READ: FG begins 11th phase of terrorism suspects’ trials; 653 convicted

He also highlighted ongoing reforms to improve Nigeria’s business environment and called for greater mobilisation of long-term capital to support infrastructure development.

The minister reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to fiscal discipline, transparency, democracy and the rule of law, while citing China’s approach to infrastructure cooperation as an example of engagement without the conditionalities often associated with other development partnerships.

Meanwhile, Nigeria’s delegation to the dialogue held bilateral engagements at Nigeria House in Berlin on behalf of President Bola Tinubu.

The delegation was led by Enikanolaiye and the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu.

In one of the engagements, Enikanolaiye and Nigeria’s Ambassador to Germany, Senator Ita Enang, met with Lesotho’s Foreign Minister, Limpho Justice Tau, to discuss ways to deepen diplomatic and economic cooperation between the two countries.

The meeting also explored the possibility of Lesotho establishing a physical diplomatic presence in Abuja.

Tau commended Nigeria’s historical role in African liberation and invited Nigerian industrialists, including the Dangote Group, to explore investment opportunities in Lesotho.

The statement said the meeting was expected to advance bilateral cooperation through the African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD).