Developing a Humanitarian Diplomacy Model: Nigeria's Foreign Policy and Post-Conflict Recovery in the Sahel

Nigeria's foreign policy has long been shaped by its geographic centrality and political influence within West Africa, particularly in addressing instability across the Sahel. In recent years, escalating humanitarian crises—driven by insurgencies, environmental degradation, and population displacement—have demanded a strategic shift from traditional diplomacy toward humanitarian diplomacy. This paper reviews Nigeria’s evolving foreign policy framework and explores how humanitarian diplomacy can serve as a pragmatic model for post-conflict recovery and regional stabilization in the Sahel. It examines Nigeria’s engagement through the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), African Union (AU), and multilateral humanitarian partnerships, focusing on interventions in Mali, Niger, and Chad. The study highlights the intersections between national interest, humanitarian principles, and regional security imperatives, emphasizing Nigeria’s capacity to lead coordinated responses to displacement, food insecurity, and peacebuilding. Using a qualitative synthesis of policy documents, academic literature, and case analyses, this paper proposes a conceptual Humanitarian Diplomacy Model grounded in inclusive governance, human security, and adaptive regional cooperation. The findings underscore the need for Nigeria to integrate humanitarian imperatives within its foreign policy architecture to effectively promote peace, resilience, and sustainable development in the post-conflict Sahel.