Foreign Policy and Leadership in Nigeria : Obasanjo and the Challenge of African Diplomacy

Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Foreign Policy and Leadership in NigeriaObasanjo and the Challenge of African Diplomacy\nAuthor(s): Steve Itugbu\nFormat: Paperback\nPublisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, United Kingdom\nImprint: I.B. Tauris\nISBN-13: 9780755601066, 978-0755601066\nSynopsis\nSteve Itugbu, for many years a foreign policy aide to Obasanjo, draws on an extensive corpus of official documents, interviews, unpublished material and first-hand experience to explore the president's multi-faceted personality in depth. In so doing, Itugbu demonstrates that Nigeria's foreign policy has suffered through a combination of personalisation - that is subjugation to the will of Obasanjo - and the failings of bureaucratic structures. The book focuses specifically on Nigeria's decision not to intervene in Darfur in 2004, which is shown to be attributable to Obasanjo's politicking and inherent focus on shoring up his own position. Ultimately, an important opportunity for the African Union to set a precedent for humanitari.