Events of monumental proportions are happening in the world. The assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah may signal the beginning of an all-out war in the Middle East.
Those who love conquest may celebrate his elimination, but those who seek peace will recognize that his death drives humanity closer to a potentially avoidable war.
Since we now live in a global village, everyone should be concerned about such events. However, Nigerians seem unprepared for the possible fallout.
A Nigerian man, Ismaila Lasisi, recently revealed he spent 24 years in prison for refusing to join a murder and money ritual plot. Surely, we have Nigerians living in Lebanon who may need protection, but there is no ambassador to represent our interests or keep us informed. There is also no ambassador in Israel to advance our interests.
This is undoubtedly a proxy war, with the United States and allies like France and Britain providing Israel with logistics and timely intelligence, giving them an edge in armed conflicts with neighboring nations. Meanwhile, Iran supports Hezbollah, yet Nigeria has no ambassador in any of these key countries.
In fact, the country has no ambassadors anywhere in the world, aside from the United Nations and Niger Republic.
It’s tragic that Nigeria’s top diplomats are stuck at home, rotting behind desks, waiting for postings. After waiting for over a year, some may never reach the pinnacle of their careers as retirement looms.
The Tinubu administration has a Four-D foreign policy of development, demography, democracy, and diaspora, but how can this be effective without ambassadors in key countries? Nigerians abroad are left vulnerable without diplomatic protection, yet the country seeks a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. How can anyone take this seriously?
This could have been easily avoided. When President Bola Tinubu was sworn in on May 29, 2023, Nigeria had ambassadors across the globe. However, about four months later, he recalled all of them, presumably to replace them. Over a year has passed, and no new ambassadors have been appointed. Is it incapability or a lack of attention that caused this self-inflicted wound by the so-called “Giant of Africa”?
It’s unlikely this issue will be resolved this year, given that the focus is on the UN General Assembly, Nigeria’s 64th Independence Anniversary, and the upcoming Christmas season. Even if new ambassadors are appointed today, they will need to be screened by the Senate, trained, and accepted by their receiving countries.
So, for now, Nigerians are left orphaned on the international stage.
Domestically, Nigerians are also suffering. The population is increasingly alienated, hungry, and angry, despite living in a country rich in resources like oil and gas, and home to some of the best minds in the world.
We fail to add value to our resources, are incapable of repairing refineries, and continue destroying so-called “illegal” refineries. In the past year, petrol prices have surged by at least 400%, yet Nigerians still queue for hours to purchase fuel. The country seems caught between the new Dangote Refinery and the Federal Government. Despite claiming to have a federal system, Nigeria operates more like a unitary system, with no group or nationality truly at ease.
Nigeria also claims to be a democracy, but struggles to conduct even a state election successfully. The recent election in Edo State saw victory go to the highest bidder, backed by federal power.
It’s common knowledge that the monthly allowances distributed in the National Assembly are illegal, that constituency projects cannot withstand basic scrutiny, and that the annual budgets are padded. Yet, we expect this compromised body to conduct oversight on the Executive or hold public officials accountable.