By Linda Nwabuwa Akhigbe
2025 left the world in a state of flux and Nigeria has sought to stay on top of the tide. Nigeria played big, balancing National interests with global realities. President Tinubu kept a close tab on the currency of international developments.
Indeed, Global power centres shifted in very significant ways as bold new alliances overtly challenged America’s dominance. We witnessed America’s unprecedented trade wars with China, Canada, the EU, Brazil, India, South Korea, Japan, Mexico, Vietnam, Malaysia and even Great Britain.
The Trumpian world order took center stage. The tragedy of USAID and other tariff threats have impacted 161 countries, Nigeria inclusive even as more comprehensive economic sanctions against the governments of Cuba, Iran, North Korea, and Russia are underway. South Africa was accused of alleged white genocide and on October 31st, the United States designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, CPC, for allegedly engaging in a “systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.”
It is important to remember that towards the end of his first term in 2020, President Trump had placed Nigeria on the CPC list. Shortly after President Joe Biden took over, he removed the country from the list, for no apparent reason. There had been no change in the affairs of Nigeria. These seemingly arbitrary moves strengthened the notion that these American labels are sometimes placed on a whimsy, on specious grounds. Unfortunately, this time around, the label was backed with fierce rhetoric and the explicit threat of “guns blazing” interventions against perpetrators of the so called Christians genocide.
In the circumstances, with Nigeria already strained by gratuitous violence, America’s threats generated heat and exacerbated tensions. The government of President Tinubu rallied and rose to the challenge. In response anchored on evidenced-based diplomacy, the government demonstrated how its domestic policies and security reforms were improving the nation’s security architecture. More importantly, it reaffirmed the inviolability of religious freedom in Nigeria, and established the following facts: that terrorism had impacted the lives of both Muslims and Christians alike; that our enemies are criminals whose goals are materialistic, driven by greed and acquisitiveness, not some sacred plot for religious hegemony; and, that what Nigeria needs is the cooperation and understanding of allies, not threats and grandstanding.
In November 2025, the government’s team, led by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, met with high ranking American officials in Washington, including Peter Hegseth, US Secretary of War, Riley M. Moore, the congressman who was vociferous about the alleged persecution of Christians, and senior officials across key departments. Moore was later to describe the meeting as “frank, honest and productive.” Following that meeting, a high ranking congressional delegation arrived from the United States to further engage with the Ribadu team, leading to the formation of a Joint Working Group on Security to formalise intelligence sharing and coordinate security efforts. In the end, the United States government understood the complexity of the conflict as Moore noted, “concrete steps and actions were discussed at length which if fully executed will enhance security across the country and disrupt terrorists organizations in the northeast.”
On December 26 2025, the Nigerian government confirmed that the bombing of terror camps in Sokoto State the previous day by the United States was the result of a “structured security cooperation” between Nigeria and the United States and not a unilateral American gambit. US Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, said his country was, “grateful for Nigerian government support and cooperation.”
It is crucial to keep in view that the Trump administration has been goading Nigeria since his return to power through a form of coercive diplomacy. For instance, on July 8, 2025, despite an existing visa reciprocity policy of five-year multi-entry visas, the US suddenly announced a single entry pattern of 3 months only. In the end, it appeared to be part of a ploy to apply pressure on Nigeria to accept asylum seekers and prisoners from Venezuela, a ploy that seemed to have worked with Rwanda, Gabon, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, Ghana, and Senegal. In America’s current brand of transactional diplomacy, everything appears to always boil down to economics.
Against this backdrop, President Tinubu’s administration had to define its foreign policy agenda. Throughout 2025, Nigeria operationalised its 4-D foreign policy doctrine—Democracy, Development, Demography, and Diaspora. The framework provided coherence across engagements, ensuring that diplomacy delivered tangible outcomes in trade, investment, governance support, youth opportunities, and diaspora protection. The key goals remain the repositioning of Nigeria as a global force and leader of Africa, enhancing national security and economic prosperity.
ECOWAS and Regional Diplomacy
President Tinubu’s foremost foreign policy objective has always been to assert Nigeria’s influence in Africa by promoting democratic values. At his inauguration, he did not mince words. “My primary foreign policy objective must be peace and stability of the West African subregion and the African continent. We shall work with ECOWAS, the AU and willing partners in the international community to end extant conflicts and to resolve new ones. As we contain threats to peace, we shall also retool our foreign policy to more actively lead the regional and continental quest for collective prosperity.”
This is a clear policy statement, ambitious and bold but also reiterating the foundational position that Africa shall remain the cornerstone of our foreign policy. Barely three months after that speech, he was unanimously elected as Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS and placed on an international pedestal. This came at a time when the region was overrun by coups and the Niger coup became a litmus test, following Guinea, Burkina Faso and Mali. President Tinubu led a groundswell of opposition against the coup, leading ECOWAS to impose its most stringent sanctions. Indeed, the President has always emphasised that he has no animus against the people of Niger however, he would not countenance any attempt to subvert a duly elected government in the region.
On December 7, 2025, such an attempt was made in the Republic of Benin by soldiers led by Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri, who seized the state radio and announced the removal of President Patrice Talon. On request, President Tinubu sent in the Nigerian Super Tucano light attack aircraft which conducted precision strikes on rebel positions, dislodging them and forcing them to flee. The coup was squashed, within hours, in what is believed to be the most definitive stance against an unconstitutional power grab since 2017.
In 2025, Nigeria has proven to be the key driver of AFCFTA, committing to zero duties on 90% of all goods, expanding market access and boosting regional trade. Nigeria continues to take the lead in regional integration, enforcing the rule of law, and removing unconscionable barriers to trade.
Economic Diplomacy: Renewable Energy, Oil, Gas and Climate Change
A major pillar of the President Tinubu’s administration’s foreign policy is to leverage international engagements in a manner that advances foreign investments in critical sectors of Nigeria’s economy.
Foreign trips have so far proved successful, and brought in about $50 billion in Foreign Direct Investment from China, India, Brazil, UK, France, Qatar, Cuba, UAE, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. This has strengthened portfolio investments in non oil sectors and advanced the nation’s diversification drive.
Restructuring, retooling and resourcing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its missions abroad are extremely important in this regard including the resuscitation of comatose Joint Commissions and Bi-National Commissions between Nigeria and many countries in the world.
In its ambitious drive to become Africa’s renewable energy hub, the administration’s energy transition roadmap plans to unlock about $410 billion in investment opportunities by 2060. In October 2025, it secured some $400m in commitments for local renewable energy manufacturing, including solar panel assembly and battery storage. Nigeria was recently confirmed as the headquarters for the African Energy Bank, which hopes to centralize funding for energy projects across the continent. President Tinubu’s visit to Tanzania and the UAE Sustainability Week resulted in partnerships for off-grid solar power projects to improve electricity access in rural Nigerian communities.
Oil and gas remains Nigeria’s biggest revenue source, accounting for the vast majority of its foreign exchange earnings, although the contribution of the non oil sector to GDP continues to rise exponentially. In 2025, the Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission estimates that reforms have unlocked $18 billion in total investment commitments to the sector. In October, Shell reached a Final Investment Decision for a $2 billion gas project in an offshore field expected to provide 350 million standard cubic feet of gas daily beginning 2028. Indeed, the surge in investments in the sector, including $5 billion in major gas projects secured recently, have been attributed to the president’s new fiscal incentives.
Non Oil Sectors: Agriculture, Air Transport and Technical Support
President Tinubu’s reforms have redefined Nigeria’s diplomacy and earned the nation global recognition. His engagements have not only strengthened bilateral and multilateral relations but secured international funding for a range of projects and technical support in agriculture, transportation and other fields.
In June 2025, the president secured a $1 billion dollar deal with Brazil for the supply of mechanized farming tools, the establishment of service centres, and the training of Nigerian youths in modern agriculture practices. There are other investments from Belarus, India and Qatar, and a Singaporean agribusiness company is poised to spend $70 million in the Nigerian palm oil sector.
The President is also keen on developing the aviation sector as a key driver of national growth. A Bilateral Air Services Agreement was updated with Brazil, paving the way for direct flights between Lagos and São Paulo, reducing time and cost for passengers who previously had to route their flights through Europe or the Middle East. Similarly, Airpeace now offers direct flights to Gatwick and Heathrow, advancing international connectivity.
Security and Counterterrorism
Nigeria’s security forces are battling a convergence of threats as insurgents, terrorists, criminals, separatists and other non state actors are increasingly interlinked through arms trafficking and economic networks. President Tinubu’s war against terror however goes beyond Nigeria to embrace the safety of the region. The Sahel and other parts of Africa face complex interconnected threats including violent conflicts, climate change repercussions and deeply entrenched governance and socioeconomic challenges.
In October 2025, President Tinubu was in Italy for the Aqaba Process Heads of State and Government Meeting, a counterterrorism initiative launched by King Abdullah II of Jordan ten years ago. The Rome meeting focused on strengthening regional and international collaboration in the fight against terrorism and extremism with particular interest to West Africa.
On the sidelines of the event, President Tinubu held bilateral meetings with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Trump’s Senior Adviser on Arab and African Affairs, Massad Boulos. He also met with Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, to address the widespread disinformation campaigns portraying Nigeria as intolerant of religious diversity.
Clearly, this year has given Nigeria much global visibility as the Tinubu administration continues to advance a foreign policy rooted in strategic autonomy rather than coercive diplomacy. As global power structures continue to shift and realign, Nigeria is fully determined to cooperate with like minded countries open to our national interests, peace and shared prosperity.
Linda Nwabuwa Akhigbe is the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Strategic Communications
