By Denis Matthew, Abuja
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar has positioned strategic economic diplomacy and deepened regional integration as critical pillars for the nation’s economic revival and global relevance.
Speaking at the 31st Nigerian Economic Summit (NES #31), Tuggar lauded the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) as a “cornerstone of Nigeria’s development architecture” and a vital institution for policy innovation.
Addressing the summit, themed “The Reform Imperative: Building a Prosperous and Inclusive Nigeria by 2030,” Ambassador Tuggar asserted that reform is indispensable for restoring macroeconomic stability and rebuilding investor confidence.
He praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration for steering “bold, pragmatic, and people-centered reforms” under the Renewed Hope Agenda, which he claimed are catalysing growth, enhancing investor confidence, and beginning to deliver tangible results visible in the everyday lives of citizens, not just in data.
Ambassador Tuggar stressed that Nigeria’s foreign policy is now strategically aligned to serve its economic ambitions.
He reaffirmed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ commitment to actively unlocking trade corridors, securing partnerships, and attracting investment to strengthen the domestic economy. This effort is guided by Nigeria’s 4D Foreign Policy Doctrine: Democracy, Development, Demography, and Diaspora.
The Minister emphasized a foreign policy defined by strategic autonomy, stating that Nigeria rejects “binary ideological alignments” in favor of issue-based relationships that advance the national interest.
“Nigeria must reject binary ideological alignments and instead embrace issue-based relationships that advance national interest. We are too significant a nation to engage in bandwagon diplomacy,” he affirmed.
Tuggar underscored the critical necessity of regional cooperation, citing the recently launched West Africa Economic Summit (WAES) as a significant move toward advancing cross-border industrialization, trade, and infrastructure development.
He declared, “Nigeria’s prosperity is tied to West Africa’s progress,” arguing that investing in regional value chains and policy harmonization will enhance the bloc’s resilience and competitiveness.
Drawing lessons from emerging middle-power economies like MIKTA (Mexico, Indonesia, Korea, Turkiye, and Australia) and the Flying Geese Paradigm of East Asia, Tuggar expressed confidence that Nigeria has the scale and capacity to lead Africa’s own ‘flying geese’ formation a staged approach to continental industrialization.
However, he cautioned that this leadership must be earned through sound policies, productive investment, regional coordination, and institutional credibility.
Ambassador Tuggar called for stronger collaboration between the nation’s policy and research institutions, urging that evidence-based strategy must guide both domestic reforms and international engagement.
He highlighted the role of bodies like the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) in translating research into actionable foreign policy.
The Minister concluded with a commitment to a results-driven foreign policy, ensuring that diplomacy consistently delivers concrete benefits to Nigerians, whether through advancing trade under the AfCFTA, facilitating investment flows, or championing Africa’s voice globally.
He stressed that the challenge for NES #31 is to move beyond rhetoric to actionable implementation, stating, “If we align our ambition with implementation, Nigeria will not only reform but lead.”