Minister, Stakeholders, Set 4-year Strategic Plan to Reposition Foreign Affairs Ministry

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is being repositioned for efficiency as a four-year strategic plan is being introduced under the leadership of its Minister, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar.

The minister, in order to achieve the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, declared that the ministry’s strategic vision and operations would be driven by what he called the 4D foreign policy strategy, which is hinged on Democracy, Development, Demography and Diaspora, as pillars for the actualization of sustainable development. 

These strategies were reviewed and articulated during a policy retreat organized by the ministry recently. 

At the well attended retreat held at the Wells Carlton Hotel in Abuja, having in attendance the Chairman, Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Senator Abubakar Sani Bello; Chair, House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Hon. Abdulmuminu Jibril; and Ambassador Olusola Enikanolaiye, the Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Foreign Affairs and International Relations, amongst several serving and retired diplomats, the strategic positions were embraced. 

A statement on Wednesday by the spokesman of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alkasim Abdulkadir, read: “In order to realize the noble vision of the 4D foreign policy vision, the ministry has evolved a set of priorities with specific objectives and outcomes to be attained between 2023-2027.

“These priorities serve as the yardstick for the ministry’s operations for the next four years.  The priority areas are grouped into five key focus areas including: Inclusivity, Economic Growth and Job Creation, Security, Fairness and Rule of Law, Anti-corruption stance. 

“The first priority area is focused on harnessing and leveraging the potential of the diaspora to strengthen Nigeria’s economic diversity; the second priority area is focused on promoting Nigeria’s visibility and relevance at the global level; priority three is focused on promoting national, regional and global peace and stability; the fourth priority area is focused on strengthening democratic governance in West African and Africa, and the fifth priority area is focused on reforming the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for effective service delivery.

“The retreat brought together top diplomats in the country who in the past had served Nigeria meritoriously; Amb Joe Keshi, Amb Martins Uhomoibhi, Amb. Bulus Lolo and Amb. Usman Sarki. Also amongst the stakeholders were heads of agencies under the Ministry, Honorable Yakubu Buba of DTAC.

“Amb. Tuggar has expressed his trust in the unalloyed commitment of the ministry’s staff to drive the actualization of President Tinubu’s vision for a renewed and efficient Ministry of Foreign Affairs in tune with the dynamic state of diplomacy and current realities that is proactive and responsive to the needs of Nigerians all over the world.

“In his closing remarks, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Adamu Ibrahim Lamua, said Nigerians should expect nothing short of efficient service delivery from the ministry under the current administration in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the president.”