http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/gjss.v15i1.8 GLOBAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES VOL 15, 2016: 73-86 COPYRIGHT© BACHUDO SCIENCE CO. LTD PRINTED IN NIGERIA. ISSN 1596-6216 73 www.globaljournalseries.com; [email protected] GLOBAL TURBULENCE AND NIGERIA’S CITIZEN DIPLOMACY: 2007-2016 C. N. ODOCK (Received 15 November 2016; Revision Accepted 13 December 2016) ABSTRACT Global turbulence and citizen diplomacy is the outcome of our original research project designed to explore the problematic of the extent to which the laudable policy of citizen diplomacy adopted by the Nigerian Government in 2007 has been translated into practice, on the assumption that this development was critical to the empowerment or emancipation of the citizenry. In the course of the research, a new reality came to the fore: the real challenge of Nigeria like most Third World Countries, is not whether citizen diplomacy or any other Social Programme is properly implemented or not, but the difficulties imposed on them and Nigeria in particular, by the fall-outs or consequences of global turbulence, conceived in terms of the multiple processes of change and transformation in the global system associated with globalization: the rise of new actors, the generation of new interests, conflicts and identities that fuel and sustain micro and macro nationalism and pull citizens in divergent directions and dilute loyalty to the nation-state. The activities of Boko Haram symbolize in vivid terms the impact of global turbulence in Nigeria as expressed by global Islam and international terrorism. Relying on a careful reformulation of J. David Singers (1962) Level of Analysis Problem in International Relations, the research came to the conclusion that it was the consequences of global turbulence seen in Boko Haram and other ethnic separatist movements and militias that made it impossible for Nigeria to devote any significant amount of national resources to the prosecution of citizen diplomacy. Although, the policy was designed to significantly impact the country’s Diaspora seen as a vital reservoir of assets for Nigeria’s national development. The paper ended with a recommendation for the institution of a citizen diplomacy Trust Fund to cover the costs of citizen diplomacy and support the training of Nigerian diplomats to protect the interests of Nigerians abroad. INTRODUCTION government in power to put forth its own brand or new policy orientation without much regard to In 2007 the government of President philosophical justification, logical coherence or Musa Yar Adua adopted the policy of citizen policy continuity. diplomacy as a means of correcting the poor In spite of these difficulties, citizen image of the country abroad, stemming the poor diplomacy was seen by some observers as treatment meted out to Nigerians in the diaspora Nigeria’s modest attempt to join the train of and tapping into the enormous potential of globalization by evolving its own peculiar brand of wealth, expertise, skills, and resources that were alternative diplomacy based on giving voice to available to various Nigerian diaspora groups ordinary citizens, groups and organizations the abroad (Maduekwe 2009). This response was opportunity to participate in promoting the greeted with widespread approval by many country’s national interest and external relations, Nigerians, even though some skeptics faulted the and therefore worthy of scientific study. This widely publicized policy orientation as one rationale prompted the present writer to additional instance of our series of ‘myownism’ undertake a study of citizen diplomacy and its (Pine 2011), or the tendency of each Nigerian implementation by the federal government in an C. N. Odock, Department of Political Science, University of Calabar, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. 74 C. N. ODOCK attempt to assess the extent to which the policy However, laudable as citizen diplomacy has been translated into practice. might be conceptually, we hasten to add that it is really in the faithful translation of the noble In order to carry out this objective, the study intentions espoused in the concept and raised several questions: translation of citizen diplomacy into real practice State the concept of citizen diplomacy in by the nation's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Nigeria and its central objectives? country's diplomatic missions abroad that the Examines the theoretical framework and benefits of citizen diplomacy can actually be methodological procedures would best enable us verified or measured. study the theory and practice of Citizen Given that it is now several years since Diplomacy in Nigeria? the policy of citizen diplomacy was launched by What are the major findings of our study the Nigerian government, it is presently expedient of citizen diplomacy in Nigeria and what empirically assess the extent to which citizen conclusions and recommendations can we draw diplomacy as a new and revolutionary approach from our study? to Nigeria's foreign policy has now become the grand norm of our diplomatic practice. In fact, the BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY need for empirically ascertaining the extent to which citizen diplomacy is actually being put into One of the legacies of the relatively practice is strengthened by the reality that the short-lived administration of the late President Honorable Minister who launched citizen Umaru Musa Yar'Adua (2007-2010), was the diplomacy in 2007 moved in 2010 to occupy a adoption of the concept of citizen diplomacy as strategic diplomatic post as Nigeria's High the new focus or thrust of Nigeria's foreign policy Commissioner in Ottawa, Canada for some time. in 2007. According to Chief Ojo Maduekwe the Did he practice what he preached or taught as Honorable Minister of Foreign Affairs who Honorable Minister? What about other diplomatic launched the new policy: missions? What is the status of citizen diplomacy "Citizen Diplomacy is ... about people.... today? How do Nigerians living at home and in Citizen Diplomacy therefore is a foreign policy the Diaspora assess the theory and practice of initiative that will be citizen oriented in its citizen diplomacy by the diplomatic missions in approach, objective and outcome" (Maduekwe, the countries where they live? 2009: 8). This brief statement of the essence of It is hoped that this research project on citizen diplomacy was both captivating and the theory and practice of citizen diplomacy will refreshing, for it simply shifted the focus and help us find answers to some of the questions objective of Nigeria's foreign policy from the raised above. The salience of the questions pursuit of the interests of the Nigerian nation posed above lies in the fact that they have been state, its ruling classes and elites, to catering for the pre-occupation of observers and the interests, demands and aspirations of commentators who have written on various ordinary Nigerian citizens. aspects of Nigeria's foreign policy since citizen There is no doubt that “citizen diplomacy" diplomacy was launched. conceived in the condensed form stated represents not just a culmination of the shifting STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM emphases of Nigeria's foreign policy from the Although the adoption of Citizen initial preoccupation with the promotion and Diplomacy was widely acclaimed as a new protection of the "country's national interests and foreign policy orientation by the President Yar the welfare and dignity of the black man all over Adua administration, its effective implementation the world," (Olusanya and Akindele, 1986:2-3); to over the past several years has been problematic "the idea that Africa is the center piece of due to the scarcity of funds available to Nigeria Nigeria's foreign policy" (Gambari, 1989: 275); to and the combination of domestic political "beneficial and constructive concentricism" instability and the prevalence of global turbulence (Akinterinwa, 2004: 444); and then' "new in the international system. direction in Nigeria's foreign policy"(Adeniji, 2004: As shown by Eze (2009), 'citizen 421). It could be termed revolutionary in putting diplomacy represents a bold legal step aimed at the nation's diplomatic activities squarely at the addressing the abnormal situation where service of its citizens. "Nigerians in difficulty abroad were almost seen GLOBAL TURBULENCE AND NIGERIA’S CITIZEN DIPLOMACY: 2007-2016 75 as sheep without shepherds", and therefore a disposition of Nigeria's foreign policy very welcome development from the perspective establishment; of ordinary Nigerians. Given the very broad (iii) There has not been any significant scope of the individuals and groups that were relationship between the outputs of envisaged to participate in the formulation and Nigerian foreign policy and the objectives practice of 'citizen diplomacy' both as actors and of citizen diplomacy; beneficiaries (Ogunsanwo, 2009), this policy is (iv) There have not been any significant novel, worthy of proper study and careful obstacles or challenges to the assessment in terms of both the goals and actualization of the objectives of citizen objectives it was designed to achieve as well as diplomacy; the extent to which the intended beneficiaries are (iv) There are no significant remedies to the actually reaping the anticipated benefits of the challenges confronting the actualization policy. This study is therefore designed to of citizen diplomacy. undertake both an extensive survey of literature on citizen diplomacy as well as empirically SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY establish the extent to which citizen diplomacy A study of Nigeria's foreign policy from has been really implemented and the obstacles the perspective of the theory and practice of that have hampered the full or successful citizen diplomacy has great theoretical and implementation of the programme. empirical significance. From a theoretical standpoint, our study will OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY provide us an opportunity to evaluate the The objectives of our proposed study of the conceptual soundness and validity of this new theory and practice of citizen diplomacy are addition to Nigeria's long list of foreign policy derived directly from the research questions thrusts, ideological shifts and epistemological raised above.