The Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Foreign Affairs, Ademola Oshodi, has said the administration’s “Nigeria First” policy is not only necessary but long overdue, stressing that the country must reduce its over-reliance on imported goods.
Speaking during an interview on Channels TV’s ‘Lunchtime Politics’ on Tuesday, Oshodi likened the approach to the “America First” policy, stating that Nigeria has for too long functioned as an import-dependent economy, especially in areas like refined petroleum products.
“Now we have the Dangote refinery and others coming up,” he said. “We are no longer where we used to be -importing refined products. We’re finally moving toward self-reliance.”
Oshodi’s previous article on how an African First policy would look like resonates with this new bold initiative of the Nigerian government.
He explained that the ‘Nigeria First’ policy is built around optimising local production, reducing the pressure on foreign exchange, and attracting investments that will strengthen the country’s economic base.
He said, “Nigeria first policy gives us the memories of the American administration of America first. I believe it’s something that is not just necessary. It’s long overdue. It’s because Nigeria’s been a very much of an import country. We import a lot of our products, processed and in many ways, refined.
“Of course, the market people still compete and bring refined products in. But Nigeria is moving away from that imported culture. So, we have self-reliance that the Nigeria first policy thinks about is way overdue.
“We have a tremendous amount of human resources, natural resources, and we have a lot of investments coming in, a lot of investments being attracted by the president. But to his foreign travels and attracting people bringing in money for livestock, issues of finance, we’re getting loans. We have an infrastructure fund coming in.
“So, it’s a great time to think more about what we can produce rather than what we can import, which, in many ways, when we import these, it exacerbates our foreign exchange issues. So, we have more pressure to get dollars, which in many ways affects our currency.
He acknowledged that past efforts, such as Executive Order 5 by former President Muhammadu Buhari, laid the groundwork, but argued that what differentiates Tinubu’s administration is leadership and the will to implement.
“The difference is leadership. President Tinubu is determined to build a $1 trillion economy. We now have a leader who is focused on making existing laws and policies actually work,” Oshodi stated.
He added, “Well, the difference is the leadership of the country. We have a new president who is very determined to ensure the Nigerian economy is structured to a more reliable and self-sufficient, and sustainable economic base, something that we can build on to have an economy that would give us about $1 trillion, worth over $1 trillion. So, leadership is different now.
“We also have acts, legislation has been put in place, local content, which is also ensuring that Nigerians take the helm, and many of these companies, these foreign companies that come to Nigeria. It’s not just having those acts, but having somebody who can drive it, somebody who is determined to make those laws alive, to keep them alive. It’s one thing to create laws and acts, it’s one thing to ensure that it’s purposeful.
“And we’ve seen with this president, he’s very determined. He’s very determined to ensure the right things are done. Regardless, I mean, though we go through short-term pain, the medium and long-term gain is something that is well in his sight and is focused on. So, this is not business as usual, I should say. And I think we should give him the benefit of the doubt.”
Touching on global trade dynamics, Oshodi noted that rising protectionism, especially the U.S. raising tariffs under President Donald Trump, should push Nigeria to rethink its dependency on Western markets.
He urged Nigeria to explore trade opportunities with the East, citing China, India, Indonesia, Japan, and South Africa as key targets.
He also warned that with the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) expiring in September 2025 and unlikely to be renewed, Nigeria must open new markets for its products.
On foreign policy, Oshodi highlighted the administration’s “4D” approach—Democracy, Demography, Development, and Diaspora, saying that Tinubu’s global engagement is focused on security, investment, and multilateral partnerships such as with BRICS, G20, and ECOWAS.
He emphasised the need to secure Nigeria’s borders, combat piracy, and ensure that trade agreements like the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) are maximally leveraged.
“This is not business as usual. The president’s reforms are about building a sustainable and secure future. We’re putting Nigeria first—not just as a slogan, but as an economic and diplomatic reality,” Oshodi concluded.
