The Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs is set to partner with Yakubu Gowon University, Abuja, on diplomatic training, policy research and migration studies as part of efforts to strengthen Nigeria's foreign service and align the country's foreign policy with national development priorities.
The agreement was reached when the management of the university, led by its Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Hakeem Fawehinmi, paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, in Abuja on Thursday.
During the meeting, Enikanolaiye said the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is committed to a foreign policy driven by the 4Ds Doctrine—Demography, Development, Democracy and Diaspora—to ensure that diplomacy delivers tangible benefits to Nigerians.
He stressed that Nigeria's foreign policy should be people-focused, with emphasis on economic growth, job creation, improved security and enhanced living standards.
The Minister said the Ministry is also implementing reforms aimed at strengthening its institutional framework through improved training, retraining and research to build a more efficient and professional Foreign Service.
He identified several areas where the Ministry intends to collaborate with the university, including capacity building for foreign service officers, revitalisation of the Nigerian Foreign Service Academy, policy research to support evidence-based decision-making, migration management and the establishment of ECOWAS Clubs in tertiary institutions to deepen students' understanding of regional integration.
Enikanolaiye further directed relevant officials of the Ministry to work with the university on creating a platform for regular interaction between the institution and members of the diplomatic community in Nigeria.
In his remarks, Prof. Fawehinmi thanked the Ministry for the opportunity to collaborate, describing the partnership as a significant step towards strengthening diplomacy through academia.
He said Yakubu Gowon University, with over 40,000 students, is well positioned to support the Ministry through its Directorate of Foreign Studies and Foreign Languages and the Centre for Migration and Security Studies.
According to him, the university is ready to collaborate on staff and student exchange programmes, educational and cultural initiatives, as well as postgraduate professional training for officials of the Ministry and members of the Diplomatic Corps.
The Vice-Chancellor also appealed to the Ministry to facilitate a forum involving Ambassadors and High Commissioners to explore additional areas of cooperation with the university.
At the end of the meeting, both parties agreed to establish a joint working team to develop the framework for implementing the proposed areas of collaboration.
The Ministry said the initiative reflects its commitment to leveraging partnerships with academic institutions to enhance Nigeria's diplomatic capacity, strengthen foreign policy implementation and promote the country's image globally.