National Interest and Nigerian Foreign Policy

This work examines Nigeria's national interest and her foreign policy thrust, its problems and prospects. The grand theory or realist approach was used as theoretical framework. The work took a historical journey into Nigeria's foreign policy since independence. It analytically examined the contradictions that are firmly fixed in the country's foreign policy and their fundamental link to her national interest or image-building. It reveals that Nigeria's foreign policy over the years has been greatly sabotaged by succeeding governments. It observes that the Nigerian has not really been made the main focus of our policy, rather designed for the powerful elitist circles and African-centered. It sees corruption and internal political crisis as negatively affecting our foreign policy. It recommends that our foreign policy must be redirected towards our national security and welfare as well as encompasses economic, cultural technical and scientific cooperation with countries in the international arena.