_t'.:"t-
ECONOMIC
DIPLOMACY
AND THE NIGERIA'S
RELATIONS
PROT.
AKINJIDE
OJUNTOKUN
Pr$idert Nis€rian-Gnadian Cl6nb€r of Conmerc€
and Industry
JOINTWOR(SHOPOFNICER

---

dccupalion in ib endml potni.s
96 rhe proEcrion
ofn\\e dicliq ofde blrk orD wh{ever he my be. s;
boundendltybploEccdgleDdandseklol'heichcor'hbb&momd
b 5*n
lhd KMm. rnkrumah lar* called rhe :Arri.s na .Daliry rLr
roii.) ft . tar rhI \\r. rtu . mon populons
:\\arican
couDnl
locard in,.
'l hn poli.y qa ior b$rd imply on alrrulsm.ln
f:d ir a.or nom our
.olishrened
*lfirkE$.Thls is becaus
6 lone
as a br3.k
'nm ry1vhe€ 'r
rh. r ond L6 discnmlnard ag:lnn ou. o\\r iDdependence
ad disni._{
qrrt
pignc or his ski.. ,h.n Nc h \\r3en. :ntter.d stoDe \\nh hi,n
lib{dion phs. or nnicm
. e r ! (. r .
d o i - , . u p p o . r d
fi ghing
md !ornnd cadrs
orFRELftlo
(MozmbiqE)
r,4rac (in aui'rr
BLau dd Cap. Vdd4TAPU and ZANU ti'r di. rh.d Sodi.n Rhode5ia,
ri\\JP (; Nbnhrm Rbod4ia),\\\\c. PAc ;,, isou r Arila) S\\IPo (r
-":nibisl \\'PLA (aigoLlr \\! hAe sjn..:p.nr 3 billLdd !s dorlE ri
i-1in srlrr r_lone
rid Lib.ia od rt,l
.,hs hlDd irrh* is perc. ii our r.sion 3nd orr conrts.nr.
rh.ft \\ould b.

---

bige$ Dd p.rerirL 'ir.rd This of
couBe is i. lhe lons run.
we cd jssinably
Grc .rriL wi'h o
*ho sood by Afrlcs rh!' rhe $rueeL. q.s Dor i'r vaid hd rhe iiberaitbn or
Ponugtrsc
aftG $d Soulhem
Aliicaaid r .cthemenr
olrhe apdh.id
adniisErioi uide.rheA\\C FnuiN a suc.es
{o4 inlhe lnEienpoti.y
wi'rr ^tica\\ roral\\ rib.rai.d ton poriri.r ehjusa'ion
ir be.ae
nd odiou:
( onomn
domiidioi vourd
;o$ \\rir} $e.oLapf ofrheapdheid
Eien anaits N4 rhen
*ized ih rbe
6k of looking
lonvard
b a penod
of econoric
dcv.ropmenr
noi only of
aebr lor $e e.ononi. $cll,bc,n-q
or
,i{,n rirh NEPID (Ney P€medhip fo!
Ecoiofric
Dca.lopncni)
an1 l meds sr \\dlt r.m noE on be
.on..m.d p'imanly wirh ho\\ \\re .$ sc our exrnral nt,rions tor lne
r \\ords our nag louLd t tto\\ our &de
vd wouLd
ensure,rhd
ou dohelic en\\mman c tlyouFbh tor tuFi.i
r i
r - , [-.,ppo-
. f . : , . "o,nq ol J-r
tnrE ructure \\nhou \\*kh inre$o
s I wiir ro .hrh6ne
dE 'eed rdr
appropriare leear reinc, becaus fte rute otk\\ and nor ofpeEons have
bRom. a cardi.al
opedri!e pnnciple
ord.o.tib{al econonicpmcra no\\y

---

prevailincrllof
reqond ltrvc{os Panr $ b. su€that then 'dvesmeni
n sale dd thd \\hei
Ee * a dl
sdjudicdior we \\odld aho need
k cism that theF i! political
sbbiliry in
rhe land. This should bc doF NI br nggine .l.dion5 bu bv allowing rhe
people\\ voi.e rc be held rouehfienvoB \\\\e mu$ Pddn. democ*cy
ii :uch r {aI $ar
.re is polni.al dd econdnic rmspaFo'v sd
uoamEl m.kd oprdi.d !nh eoremn.dr otrlv involr.d inseting thc
flks ol rh. cdne and nainhinins !* dd ord{ Ih. lib.raL rh!
r
l.sn should
bc di .redo r! dirr d^r
of-erobalisdioD
clpihldo* od oilitrrilt Eloeiise ndion, toriec dr'
are inrNined dd iirenocked.
bu i
pdrun of sconodn diplomlly win\\out the doflenic enuronfred e'rg
fieidlyro F.D.r h slso 6sum6Inc don*dc codncaMolslobalisrion
rhi.h npavaGriod onc. al thi5 G$md
then Nt.atrh:ve full bl.o'n
cconomic
diplomxy th* k \\!hsl the pBiI
obsmjo gowndmr r
r 4 i n s b d o . b d r G . L o n g r € y f t o ' n r c a l n i n g t s o d h i s o b v l o u s f t a r s e
do nor hire a nabl. poLny
rn
poliftaLLtunsirion
dd elec.ion5
Psple l.eirimdeLr
rcclrscimried d
polnicnns ac gcd€llr
nor hned rtr tu. poLLri.s
h $e oDlv Nav lor
uprkrd moblLny
ii &e land rnd go
polntidtr foi po (ichi!
rsourc.5 inr, thr ha'ldj oii G\\ F

---

seeD
ro E\\el. ir 6e polnicaL
snudior haves much
ro be desiEd,
{,.
ik 'he r,l regme
a b. nred fad]
people
and ln drorylng
up ! rlaljii. !
Ihe pain of3djuime.r nor onl) to th. peop e eai lhlg to bei n bd nirr
.la*es of Nigdia$ mcludine fte n,lins elir. Rd once '}e;kDahdoal
tr4r ind.ommnm.nr
it \\ould meet
!s
, rhe
poinr
otourDrcd
dlplohary
'o nnn. or e{ei,'al r
c o i i p l . t l ) n e e l . q o r h - ! i p . ! \\ o t e r t m ?
E l d o n : . h d w e N u l d h a \\ c ! )
i&.mnh!!i!r or ii\\oL\\.i'rtr $1h I
Non aricned
mo,em. \\hnh isno\\fi mnnonrrii r Inipol.r !o d rne
!
q r ' "
! a d
j -
. - o ! 4 \\ i | ^ D u ' l r ' d
e , o - : L -
!.d
b bc I D[ ddq bu i: doable
irsr idr lne doisejc envnonmenr
mechannm
(APRM) ar
insnn.{
knrm.ri: dictun Fsidc do!! anJ et

---

lhe new dodi',. is aek nN d,e e
wotrld
be addcd
to us. CrDi.! Nould
,he quanrun
or ^ari.. r dspovble lnroiF Norld hclP lift die \\oLd s
..omnr. chida is a !la$i. .xmpl
rorca ror eood in 10 rhe global (ond
ol whar approFnft
Egine (ould ra.ili€te
cPd
eonomn grcMn mc devdoPned. some roinr ro rhe ftcr dixr rhe s'dd
E3$ Asian .conoDi.
rchlrrtd bv wen.oi l,ape
defrocncy
nor rvs n:.hiered by &e 6ee Frks ecomm. tgDe sodr
d
J . - l
h o t r c o ' . . ' I'deni-s
un{ceph6le {tnr lor rof Lodg
hrs sufiertd
rtun dt doublcjeopa.d'
ol
econonic
undsJcvllopD.nr
and P
lr r obrious
'hal
^liica\\ prdi of sroMb is thdeh $t qrr:rilq4lrm
rL"nh Drctr$
sr..n colour
ol rb. dollr is narG l
c.p,bln, aid comri n rnr ,trdr:
erirhil. co,nmfiisr r:girns or Fr
$' m3 r,\\c rad"), :t'EL or rrl!9r
d leas 1o $c uF{rlrdi sdor ofrh. oil induno *hik dnposinE
ol the

---

Dlli:r:lS (momi! PraNiie x i rea
elonon,Y
n de curd \\*k
D rhsc osDlltn
narftenb. our ikrotr qnh C!n!d! o0.n€: on b,o krds. Tlrs..u!
rril.@El atrd nurikr.4L
commonlrahl,
ot\\rtilr\\ 3id rha Lnned
\\r,Di; \\ecatr.D.odore
rDd
ar.hcr 'nuLrihreEl
l.rcls le also
soFddrs.oDsuit\\nh d.h oih.. in
th. no$ fiendly or rems. evon
rldgla k Lno\\ rh Cam& is D;d
noicicononi. dd polni.ll pEssu.e
no'i hd :ou$em ieighbou dr'
U.n.d ssr6 and iromPrcili! hJ allxir. pu G blrrd: A5h a.d FuroE
s p e c i n c a l l y . T h e r e ; a m i d
a l i( oiomi.alatioi\\nhAftnamdsin{Iid
nac rollows
tde Afica js dalinle
piorilt D c ad. Codr is r $tkfi 'd
aE tnh dre Unned shres 0d rh
Europc is beconing lai 3r trrial ro Canada
r ..o nomi. E lrliods But p.rlr.Ps
n k becaur or rhe lack ol imtftirlisric
t.den.i.s oD the pd orCmrdx,
rhd Nigerja
finds our Elaions sirh cs.rda mon eth&il'e lD lhe pAI.
havc rupponed
Afi.li rsptratioDs
panicu[n] h sourh.m
Arri.. aen
lorcign ninisFc sorr.d in d,e 1990s
on CoF,noiR.aldr Minisend Adior
Connitee on sou$.m Afi$ (crd{cs^) aid thq *.ft a bidge tu bhdk
udi Aiiicrr ni[anft l.dc6 si.ce rhe
.oilspse
ot the {adhrid regine.
c
envim.menral
senor and in eood s

---

ol rns rgarirnrl
$\\mra b \\i3f r rnr roim pmrri! p
I ol\\jci|n is rc' ko'3o0d \\@
I r*ud ha'! tuined
Nig.ni.: Lnage
!. ar rrir \\isitr.canada chamb.r or
Colmre havo4lvisrd
ourcounkrprns
rhd fier shonldvd
theftdenriiL:
ofany prospediv!
.unom$ \\nh u: a 'o 'hen:enulnene$.
t am proud
ro
sa! lhar.no
menbd orftn Chamb{ hb b.er jnrolled i. any mroMd
, oio' D6' .areued mrior **6 rFE.
eo"td b. prnr\\ jltesat Bd rheE is
much
thd \\e c:n accompld dtre seioudy poiue caial an-Niserilr
jotr wDtu$ (;mdnn busitres
p
cornprioD
srd bibery, ..nein\\ rhn:houd be i. Nenlv. ro us. bur I
al olproriorine
rDI inNig.rir \\ould
rDppdrr
Thi5ls $eEloF lh..hail.nge
brtotu:LLolus
ro exploir
the qood
willp.cvllLins ?nd exdiig bd\\kd
\\r,o shourd
rry h tnd our l ha th. d
pdm6. Nisrth n a richLy .ndo*td .ou,ra ju$ like cdada eld lrc borh
drftiri.$
Bur \\e \\inL3|r r]l.st Lh! sxni Langlrsr
i,r rlms oaoLr

---

poliii..l sys@m
ed tesat Egjns
Nige.iu or CaFdn Lyoutd
nnd hin*tf los in olr No cou4ais and ftis
should hrve coEequeices on our econonic Etario,s fteF ft sie.s ltat
tmss aE piktng up bur rhek sieN ft nd sbne 4oucrr w. lkL Bs.
pFcnc,l dmoBrarjons or jojnt pmdhip for n\\. pul?os or t@ng up
ihi3 sle.ring Ciani of Nicd3 who* poiediatiti.s hale lor rm ions
iemaircd dom,nl a developmen
dd dos ior au$. w.I for rh. p€3c. or
Aliica dd lhe wortd because
devil rnds work for idte hqde.

---