The Paradox of Continuity in Nigerian Foreign Policy Amid the Claimed Absence of National Identity

Controversy surrounds the notion of national identity within Nigeria’s political landscape, with scholarly discourse often asserting its absence in informing the country’s foreign policy. Nonetheless, empirical evidence highlights a persistent continuity in Nigerian foreign policy since 1960. This paper addresses the perplexing question of how such continuity persists despite the presumed absence of a cohesive national identity. Drawing on historical and archival documents, the paper challenges the predominant perspective denying the role of national identity in Nigerian foreign policy. It argues that a latent national identity underpins Nigerian foreign policy and that the continued element in the country’s foreign policy both reflects and reinforces this national identity.