Citizen Diplomacy In Nigeria's Image Building, 1999-2015
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Date
2017-06
Authors
Aleyomi, Michael Babatunde
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Universiti Sains Malaysia
Abstract
This research is developed from two related concerns about Nigeria project. First, the desire to evaluate the impact of Nigeria’s domestic and external engagements on the plights of its citizens both at home and abroad, and second is the need to assess the effectiveness of government initiatives towards image crisis. Nigeria, with highest concentration of black people on earth, a bellwether for Africa and a hub for West Africa region, is a major player in Africa political affairs and strategic to the global society as an oil-rich country. The rich endowment of mineral and human resources contributes to the notion of Nigeria’s manifest destiny in Africa and beyond. However, avid observers and scholars of Nigerian polity will notice a tottering image building and maltreatments of Nigerians both at home and abroad. Consequently, the study queries the impact of Citizen Diplomacy in Nigeria’s reputation management. To respond to this query, the study establishes the synergy between the internal and external factors in policymaking that conduce to image crisis and the introduction of Citizen Diplomacy in Nigeria project. Specifically, the objectives of the study are: one, to identify the rationale for citizen-oriented approach in Nigeria’s foreign policy thrust; two, to analyse the cases of ill-treatments on Nigerians; and three, to examine state’s strategies towards positive image. Indeed, the study evaluates the impact of Citizen Diplomacy on Nigeria’s Image Building between 1999 and 2015. Since international environment reacts to actions emanating from national policies, domestic conditioning is coterminous with external perception. Therefore, the concept of Soft Power and Neoclassical Realism provide the theoretical insight into the study. Applying primary (interviews and focus groups) and secondary (literature and document reviews) methods of data collection, which were qualitatively designed and analysed through historically descripto-explanatory and inductive approach, the study discovers growth in the tree of negative image and indifferent theoretical insight in diplomatic realization of Nigeria’s Citizen Diplomacy. At the levels of analysis,
there is lack of well-articulated internal and external dynamics in Nigeria’s image building because of wide gap between unfocused leadership and unpatriotic followership cum endemic corruption.
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Keywords
Citizen diplomacy in Nigeria's , image building, 1999-2015