By Owei Lakemfa
It is difficult to be a patriot when you don’t know where the truth lies. It is good to stand by your country. But at least, you should know where your country stands to be able to stand by it or with it. However, where the vision is blurred, it becomes difficult to know where to stand. That is the dilemma of not a few Nigerians.
But let us start from the good news that the eleven Nigerian military officers on board the C-130 aircraft that made an emergency landing in Burkina Faso were freed on December 17, 2025 after nine days in detention. Common sense led to the release where some Nigerians, based on the claims of the government, had called for military action.
The Nigerian military aircraft had made an emergency landing in Bobo Dioulasso, a city in the south-west of Burkina Faso. The incident had coincided with the abortion of a coup in neighbouring Benin Republic where Nigeria had militarily intervened to stop the removal of a dictatorial civilian regime led by President Patrice Talon.
For Burkina Faso which is ruled by a charismatic military officer, Ibrahim Traore, the unauthorized landing of the Nigerian aircraft was no coincidence.
It might well have been on a military mission, probably on behalf of France which has not hidden its wish that the Traore regime be removed. Nigerians bought the simple and straight forward explanation of their government which is that the aircraft: “observed a technical concern which necessitated a precautionary landing in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, the nearest airfield.” It further clarified that the aircraft was travelling to Portugal before the emergency landing. However, Portugal rather than confirm the Nigerian claim, kept mute, preferring that the two African countries sort out themselves.
The Nigeria situation had been further compounded by the revelations of the French Government that the Nigerian intervention in Benin Republic, was coordinated by it. In other words, proud Nigeria, was primarily a proxy of the French. Nigeria has so far not disclaimed these assertions of France, a neo-colonial power known for its vicious exploitation of its former colonies especially in West Africa. Nigeria’s international vision which was traditionally Pan Africanist and sharp, has become quite blurred under the Tinubu administration.
It began with a self-inflicted wound when in September 2023, it withdrew all the country’s ambassadors worldwide, and has in the past twenty seven months, been unable to replace them. Even when this December 2025, it forwarded the names of ambassador-designates to the Senate, there were not a few who felt the country in some cases, is deserving of better representation. Unfortunately, the seat of non-career ambassadors has over the years been reserved for politicians who had missed being compensated for their support of the ruling party.
Perhaps what is salutary in the release of the Nigerian soldiers was that the negotiations were led by the Foreign Ministry, a body that has been sidelined over the years. As late as November, 2025 when in response to threats by President Donald Trump to intervene in Nigeria over the on-going genocide in the Middle Belt, the Nigerian government sent a delegation to the United States, the Foreign Ministry was completely side lined. The eight person-delegation was composed of Mr. Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser, who is a retired police officer, two of his staff, Mrs. Bianca Ojukwu, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs who is a politician with no diplomatic training or experience, Inspector General, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, Chief of Defence Intelligence, Lieutenant General E.A. Undienydeye and, Attorney General, Mr Lateef Fagbemi. It was therefore, not surprising that the delegation achieved nothing substantial.
The Tinubu administration’s attempts to run the country’s foreign relations directly from the Presidency, has been a spectacular disaster. For example, President Tinubu had in September, 2023 met with the United Arab Emirate, UAE leader Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi. The issue of lifting the visa ban on Nigerians, was discussed. Not understanding diplomatic procedures, the Nigerian government assumed that the meeting meant that both leaders had: “finalized a historic agreement” The Nigerian Presidency issued a statement that by the discussions, the UAE had lifted the visa ban and, suspended flights between both countries would resume. The Presidency’s statement declared: “Furthermore, by this historic agreement, both Etihad Airlines and Emirates Airlines are to immediately resume flight schedules into and out of Nigeria, without any further delay.”
But the UAE government refuted these claims. It explained that the meeting was merely exploratory with the hope of: “reinforcing ties between the UAE and Nigeria.” So, this did not amount to reaching an agreement.
In another embarrassing case, President Tinubu in 2024, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum Special Meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabi met Mr. Robert Uggla, Chairman of the Danish shipping and logistics company, A.P Moller-Maersk. Since the Nigerian Presidency did not understand international relations and negotiations, it assumed Mr. Uggla nodding at the Tinubu request for investment, meant an agreement. So, his office issued a statement titled ‘President Tinubu meets Chairman of Danish shipping giant Maersk; secures $600 million investment in Nigerian seaport infrastructure.’ As proof of the assumed agreement, the Nigerian Presidency quoted Mr Uggla as saying, “We believe in Nigeria, and we will invest $600m in existing facilities and make the ports accommodating for bigger ships.”
President Tinubu also stated that such an investment would boost his administration’s ongoing $1bn investment in seaport reconstruction across Nigeria’s eastern and western seaports. The Nigerian presidency had also not realized that Mr. Uggla has a board he has to report to and, that any decision on investment is not like a Commander-in-Chief taking unilateral decisions. The company refuted the claims of the Nigerian government. It stated diplomatically that: “Maersk has been present in Nigeria for 35 years and, as a global provider of logistics services, we remain committed to develop opportunities for growth to people, the port sector and businesses locally. Therefore, it is natural to have an ongoing dialogue with the administration. However, we are not able to comment on any investment talks.”
The world with its Trumpian inclinations is now quite fractured and philistine. It is no place for amateurs. Every country is required to put its best hands at work. It is not unusual for governments to compensate its supporters, but diplomacy is not a place for such compensation. Since our foreign Ministry has seasoned diplomats and knowledgeable officers, it is better as a policy to have at least 80 per-cent of our ambassadors as career diplomats.
This will help clear our vision and ensure our foreign relations is run in accordance with our constitution. The country can only be better for it.
