Some may ask: What is Tinubu’s foreign policy really about? It is about results. Nigerians are seeing cheaper food, more stable currency, safer borders, and new jobs. These diplomatic missions have yielded clear, measurable results with millions reached through cash programmes, significant cuts in food prices, thousands of rural homes electrified, and new chances for youth and diaspora families. That is not diplomatic jargon. It is what the market woman in Kaduna or the farmer in Benue really cares about.
Since assuming office in May 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has redefined Nigeria’s foreign policy, not as an elite game of handshakes and photo-ops, but as a strategic extension of his domestic agenda to stabilise the economy, protect national security, and improve the lives of everyday Nigerians. Under his leadership, foreign policy is not theory, it is delivery. And it is working.
Foreign policy includes strategies, principles, and actions, across a range of diverse sectors and utilising a varied array of tools, through which a sovereign state engages other nations (and relevant international institutions) to advance its strategic interests (and those of its citizens). Nigeria’s foreign and domestic policies have always significantly influenced each other, especially around regional leadership and security architecture, as well as social and economic partnerships.
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The evolution of Nigeria’s foreign policy since independence has been significantly impacted by post-colonial (and anti-colonial) ideology, oil (and economic) diplomacy and regional leadership. As the nation’s domestic situation evolved, often abruptly and radically, Nigeria’s foreign policy appeared to consistently prioritise the West Africa sub-region, Africa (within the framework of the OAU/AU) and less clearly defined partnerships with Europe, Asia, and the Americas. This pursuit of regional leadership and global partnerships have not always translated to tangible returns for everyday Nigerians, especially in terms of economic and indeed social benefits.
Tinubu has made it clear that diplomacy must serve Nigerians. It must bring jobs, lower prices, and create the conditions for stability and progress. For the first time in decades, foreign policy has come down from the high towers of bureaucracy and been planted firmly in the soil of Nigerian’s daily struggles. It is foreign policy that puts food on the table, electricity in rural homes, and dignity in the hands of Nigerian youth. Consequently, diplomatic engagements and negotiations, security cooperation, trade agreements and cultural exchanges, have deliberately aligned international engagement with national political and economic objectives.
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Let us talk facts. The president’s bold leadership in ECOWAS – taking a principled and unapologetic stance against military coups in Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Guinea – was not about grandstanding. It was about protecting Nigeria’s economic and security interests. These coups threatened trade routes and drove up food prices in northern Nigeria. By pushing back diplomatically and securing vital corridors, President Tinubu safeguarded cross-border markets that millions of Nigerians depend on. The result, according to the UN’s FAO reports, was a sharp drop in food inflation from 39.8 per cent in December 2024 to 21.8 per cent by March. That is not theoretical. It is food on the table, and relief not only in the market stalls of Kano, Kebbi, Katsina, Sokoto, and Maiduguri but across Nigeria as a whole.
Critics question President Tinubu’s travel schedule. But those diplomatic trips produced more than protocol. They have delivered over $50 billion in foreign investment commitments. Nigeria under Tinubu has inked strategic deals with the UAE, India, Qatar, China, Brazil, and others. These investments – 440 of them and counting – are building refineries, roads, rail lines, and superhighways. Projects like the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway and the Port Harcourt–Aba railway, are not just good national talking points or concrete and steel. They are jobs, shortened travel times, and new business opportunities. The Lagos-Calabar coastal highway is projected to contribute $12 billion annually to the nation’s GDP in the first decade, including 10,000 direct jobs and 15,000 indirect jobs.
When President Tinubu renewed the ₦3.28 trillion currency swap with China in 2024, it was not a handshake in a boardroom – it was a lifeline for Nigerian traders. While critics dismissed it as technocratic, for traders in Alaba, Kano, Idumota, Onitsha and others, it was a lifeline to finally bypass the dollar squeeze and get their goods moving. By trading directly in yuan, they dodged middlemen, cut costs, and shielded their hustle from forex chaos. That is not abstract economics.
The president’s foreign engagements also strengthened Nigeria’s position under AfCFTA, unlocking a trade surplus of N6.95 trillion in Q2 2024. That is the result of real diplomatic groundwork – trade deals, customs reform, and border coordination that protect Nigerian producers and consumers alike. Trade surplus has the potential of increasing the household income of Nigerians by an average of 3.8 per cent by facilitating price moderation and increased purchasing power.
Meanwhile, defence diplomacy has put muscle behind that stability. With over 13,500 terrorists eliminated and new military hardware commissioned through strategic partnerships with Turkey, United States, France, Germany, and Pakistan, Nigeria is showing that it will not be bullied within or without.
A critical but often overlooked dimension of President Tinubu’s foreign policy is its firm diplomacy on national security. Under President Tinubu’s leadership, Nigeria has taken a firm stance against foreign complicity in domestic instability. The 2024 arrest of five separatist-linked individuals by Finnish authorities, following strategic diplomatic engagement, marked a breakthrough in cross-border counter insurgency cooperation. For the first time in records, a European partner took decisive legal action against diaspora-based actors inciting violence back home. This is a firm step in the process of reversing the perennial loses to Nigeria’s economy that have persisted in the billions of dollars through the deviant activities of these individuals and ensuring that ordinary Nigerians can go about their daily economic and social activities undeterred. It sent a clear message: no corner of the world will shield those undermining Nigeria’s peace. Tinubu’s foreign policy is not just about alliances, it is about defending national sovereignty with precision, resolve, and global reach. This is foreign policy with teeth: defending Nigeria’s sovereignty not just at the borders, but within and across borders.
The energy sector has also been reignited. Nigeria’s visibility in global energy forums and policy clarity encouraged final investment decisions (FIDs) from firms like Shell, helping to rebuild refining capacity and energy security. Moreover, $8 billion commitments in oil and gas investments and the new deepwater project approved, have aided rural electrification, water solutions, healthcare, and education, bringing consistent electricity to hundreds of schools, clinics, and farms.
Under this administration, foreign policy has become a tool for economic repair. The Tinubu administration’s bold reforms and high-level diplomacy have also translated to macroeconomic and foreign exchange stability, and debt clearance. Strategic negotiations with the IMF and Afreximbank demonstrate how foreign policy was used to restore macroeconomic confidence and stabilise the currency, laying the groundwork for growth. The tangible result of this is over $10 billion in FX debt cleared, and foreign reserves rising from $3.99 billion to $23.11 billion. For traders in Alaba and Kano or importers in Aba, this means stabilised exchange rates and slashed import costs, which trickles down to improved accessibility and affordability of basic necessities across Nigeria.
When President Tinubu renewed the ₦3.28 trillion currency swap with China in 2024, it was not a handshake in a boardroom – it was a lifeline for Nigerian traders. While critics dismissed it as technocratic, for traders in Alaba, Kano, Idumota, Onitsha and others, it was a lifeline to finally bypass the dollar squeeze and get their goods moving. By trading directly in yuan, they dodged middlemen, cut costs, and shielded their hustle from forex chaos. That is not abstract economics. That is a president putting firepower behind the market woman’s survival, the trader’s daily bread, and the consumer’s hard-earned resources. In a volatile global economy, President Tinubu took bold diplomatic action to defend Nigeria’s economic backbone: its entrepreneurs.
President Tinubu’s foreign policy does not sit in glass towers. It draws inspiration from and marches the streets, rides the buses, and lives in the daily hopes of ordinary Nigerians. It is high-level diplomacy which is anchored on and used to drive grassroots impact. Tinubu is not just shaking hands abroad; he is building foundations at home and impacting lives.
Q4 2024 saw Nigeria hit 3.84 per cent GDP growth – the highest in three years. This is not coincidence. It is the result of deliberate diplomacy that aligns global capital with national needs. This, alongside restructuring under the G20 Common Framework and concessional lending from multilateral lenders, have freed resources for public investment and growth.
Tinubu’s foreign policy recognises Nigeria’s greatest asset: its youth – with over 70 per cent of Nigeria’s population under 30. His foreign policy has focused on removing barriers to opportunities for Nigeria’s youth, through global financing for human capital. Partnerships with the World Bank, Afreximbank, and European Investment Bank secured over N80 billion to revamp 8,000 primary health centres. In addition, over 300,000 students received education loans, and 900,000 women and youth entrepreneurs accessed grants and credit schemes. And the $800 million World Bank-supported cash transfer programme? It reached 15 million households, putting money directly in the hands of the underserved. This is foreign policy, repurposed as social policy for the benefit of Nigerians, especially those at the lower rung of the social and economic ladder.
President Tinubu understands what every market woman in Lagos or mechanic in Benin knows – the Nigerian abroad is feeding families at home. Diaspora remittances consistently contribute over $20 billion annually to Nigeria’s economy, this is contribution overwhelmingly funnelled directly to households and families, providing a vital cushion to meet basic needs, invest in education and healthcare, improve standards of living and eventually contributing to poverty reduction. His foreign policy has opened new possibilities for global Nigerians, and, by extension, their families and communities at home. By re-engaging the UAE, normalising labour migration pathways with Germany and Canada, and expanding legal routes for skilled migration, President Tinubu restored opportunities for workers and traders and expanded legal channels for skilled professionals. The result is higher remittances, professional mobility, and stronger transnational families. Nigeria’s second-largest FX stream – the diaspora – has been empowered and organised under Tinubu’s watch.
Conclusion
Some may ask: What is Tinubu’s foreign policy really about? It is about results. Nigerians are seeing cheaper food, more stable currency, safer borders, and new jobs. These diplomatic missions have yielded clear, measurable results with millions reached through cash programmes, significant cuts in food prices, thousands of rural homes electrified, and new chances for youth and diaspora families. That is not diplomatic jargon. It is what the market woman in Kaduna or the farmer in Benue really cares about.
It is noteworthy that continuing domestic insecurity, particularly insurgency in the North-East and communal violence in the Middle Belt undermines Nigeria’s standing on the diplomatic platforms for peace and security, especially on these people’s lives. Nevertheless, unrelenting effort continues to be applied in the art and science of domestic and foreign policy to address these challenges.
President Tinubu’s foreign policy does not sit in glass towers. It draws inspiration from and marches the streets, rides the buses, and lives in the daily hopes of ordinary Nigerians. It is high-level diplomacy which is anchored on and used to drive grassroots impact. Tinubu is not just shaking hands abroad; he is building foundations at home and impacting lives.
Ademola Oshodi is senior special assistant to the President of Nigeria on Foreign Affairs and Protocol.
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