The Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) has invited Prof Babafemi Badejo, Professor of Political Science and International Relations, Chrisland University as a guest lecturer in its seminar series.
In a letter to Prof Badejo who is also the former head of Political Affairs, UN-AU Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), and made available to LEADERSHIP yesterday in Abuja, the director-general, NIIA, Prof Eghosa Osaghae, said the series is slated to hold on Thursday, July 20, 2023, at the institute’s auditorium.
It said the Prof will be speaking on the theme “Utmost Freedom: The Real Essence of National Interest”.
NIIA is Nigeria’s foremost research and advisory think tank on foreign policy and international affairs. Established in 1961, the Institute has advanced Nigeria’s global interests through proactive exploration of the interfaces between domestic and international affairs in cutting-edge research, seminars, lectures, and publications. In addition, the Institute offers a strategic and prestigious platform to national and international leaders, statesmen, and global citizens to engage in policy, share ideas and experiences, and make contributions to knowledge.
The letter said the Institute has observed the increasing severity of conflicts and counter conflicts between state and non-state actors for the primacy of stated interests within the current neoliberal regime.
It said these conflicts, which frequently revolve around issues of state sovereignty or the allocation of resources, unquestionably cause confrontations and the violation of fundamental freedoms, posing serious risks to the security and stability of nation-states.
The letter said African nations are not exempted from this conundrum.
It noted that the capacity of democratically elected governments to successfully solve their country’s developmental issues and advance their national interests appears to be dwindling as the development situation on the continent worsens.
It said authoritarian governments and illegitimate military dictators are on the rise once again, further pushing their countries into a pit of political instability and underdevelopment.
It said this phenomenon is not unrelated to the lack of universal rights protections for their citizens, which form the cornerstone of any just and flourishing society, and the incoherence of national interests as perceived by some African nations.
The organisers said this has sparked heated discussions on the logical manner in which national interests might be developed and/or redefined in accordance with current international agreements.
It said in Nigeria’s intellectual and public policy circles, this issue has not been fully and thoroughly investigated.
