Nigeria’s Soft Power and Economic Diplomacy in Africa
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Date
2018-08
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Journal of African Foreign Affairs (JoAFA)
Abstract
The world is more fragile than it used to be as recently as three decades ago.
With many countries developing sophisticated weaponry to counter possible
external threats, states’ capacity to match each other’s military strength has been
greatly enhanced with some going so far as to undermine the code of conduct
in international peace politics. However, the descent of the multipolar world
order has raised the credibility of soft power as a preferred alternative to hard
power politics. This entails the use of economic diplomacy, negotiations,
dialogue and persuasions instead of military capabilities. This study raises the
need to revert from the traditional hard power display in global politics to a soft
power approach. Nigeria in the West African sub-region is a major player in
Africa and to a lesser extent in the world. It possesses a range of soft power
potential and competences to negotiate with any player in Africa and globally
through the plank of soft diplomacy. This study examines the articulation of
Nigeria’s soft power in the arena of economic diplomacy and probes how the
state marshals its economic engagement (especially in Africa) in the present
multi-polar order. The authors further consider the extent to which economic
diplomacy satisfies the foreign policy objectives of Nigeria and meets the demands of the Nigerian populace. Using descriptive analysis, the methodology utilizes data from Afrobarometer time series (2002-2014) on how satisfied
Nigerians are in the handling of its economy. The realist theoretical framework
is utilized to buttress power interplay in international politics and the imperative
for soft power utilization by Nigeria and for the success of peaceful politics
among nations of the world.
Description
Keywords
economy diplomacy, peace, regional power, soft power