THE DIASPORA QUESTION AND NIGERIA’S FOREIGN POLICY

Nwogbaga, D.M.E.
Department of Political Science,
Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki.
E-mail: nevarelent4sure@yahoo.com

Abstract:

The Diaspora question which focuses on matters relating to citizens abroad has raised a lot of contentious issues that demand greater attention in Nigeria’s foreign policy. The contentious issues border on: first, the roles of the Nigerian Diaspora in
advancing the country’s foreign policy, and; second, how Nigeria’s foreign policy affects the lives and interests of the citizens abroad. So far, the arguments which dominated existing literatures favour more or less the legal migrants who also engage in legitimate
activities; while little or inadequate attention is given to the illegal migrants and those who allegedly engage in illegitimate activities in their countries of abode. As a consequence, many Nigerians abroad suffer a lot of incarcerations which ordinarily they
wouldn’t have suffered if they were given adequate diplomatic attention. In contribution to existing views, this paper is poised to (i) identify the contentious issues in the Diaspora
question which demand more serious attention in Nigeria’s foreign policy (ii) examine the roles of the Nigerian Diaspora in advancing the country’s foreign policy, and (iii) explain why Nigeria’s foreign policy should serve the legitimate interests and diplomatic needs of all Nigerians abroad even if they are illegal migrants or allegedly engage in illegitimate activities.