AN ASSESSSMENT OF FOREIGN POLICY DECISION-MAKING DURING GENERAL SANI ABACHA REGIME IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Foreign policy decision-making process is a product of internal and external environment; and some of these are not static enough to predict the behavioural pattern of states within the global system. The unstable nature of both internal and external policy environment make it difficult for the would-be statesman to have a clear roadmap in foreign policy making and implementation. This occurs often during the turbulent times when state needs to dissect policy carefully towards external environment. This is the case of General Sani Abacha regime in Nigeria. The domestic environment within which Abacha formulated Nigeria’s foreign policy was riddled in crisis and turbulence. How the regime maneuvered the turmoil internal and external environment in the formulation and execution of Nigeria’s foreign policy is the focus of the current research agenda. Thus, the article explores the impact of the turbulent political atmosphere of Abacha regime and how such was managed in the process of formulating Nigeria’s foreign policy. Thus, the research found that the personality of Abacha greatly affected the outcome of Nigeria’s foreign policy. Again, the research recommends that the formulation and execution of foreign policy should be to promote the national interests of Nigeria as opposed to the personal aggrandizement of Abacha. In this research, personality factor and political climate provide the framework. The methods of data collection is qualitative in nature Thus, the Qualitative Content Analysis is employed in data collection and gathering.