THE INFLUENCE OF RELIGION IN NIGERIA'S FOREIGN POLICY MAKING

Résumé

This paper posits that despite the neglect of religion in the discourse of international politics and policy-making, religion has come to be recognized as an influential aspect of public life globally. It is an important feature of foreign affairs whose traditions do not exist in isolation from the political, economic, social or cultural aspect of human existence. Nigeria, in her 58 years of nationhood is the most populated black nation comprising people of diverse ethnic groups, religious and cultural backgrounds, its written constitution presented it as a secular state with democratic governance. Having Christianity, Islam and traditional religions as most widely practiced faiths, Nigeria's foreign policies under the various administrators have been underlined by religious influences in varying degrees. Imploring interaction theory, which provides avenues for exchanges of non-material goods and materials, the study explores the impact of religion on Nigeria's foreign policy making in its context as a secular state. Observing that religion is capable of presenting both positive and negative values, the study recommends that the positive values of the existing diverse religions could be harnessed while the negative values of competition and exclusive principles be downplayed by the various actors of foreign policy making in Nigeria so as to maintain a stable and progressive international relations.