In international relations or foreign policy design, it is a question
of what’s in it for us. This is true for every country that wants to
be taken serious by the international community. Nigeria in company
with 53 African Heads of State gathered in Sochi, Russia to deliberate
on areas of mutual assistance and collaboration last week. This has
become the norm for the stronger and wealthier states or regional
groups. We have the China-Africa Summit, The EU-Africa Summit, the
Japan-Africa International Summit, etcetera.
In all of this is a continuous quest for international intercourse
within the international system at the highest levels. These summits
open vistas of opportunities for nations to explore possibilities of
prioritizing core national interests. Nigeria is in dire need of
support. We are such a poor country that every investment is welcome.
This has not stopped critics from calling attention of the authorities
to obvious flaws. In the end, it is still Nigerians that will develop
Nigeria. But it is not true that countries do not make progress with
foreign assistance. Even the much heralded Rwanda is a major
beneficiary of foreign assistance.
For our relationship with Russia arising from the Sochi summit last
week, the Nigerian delegation made some headway. Led by President
Muhammadu Buhari, the Russian President Vladimir Putin, both leaders
agreed to put Nigeria-Russia relations on a fast track, and pursue the
completion of all abandoned projects initiated by both countries.
The two leaders made the pledge at a bilateral meeting held on the
sidelines of Russia-Africa Summit, in Sochi, Russia, on Wednesday.
Other benefits or if you like promises that emerged from the summit
includes the agreement by the two leaders to start new infrastructural
projects and expand trade and investment, security and military
cooperation.
According to statements made by both leaders, Nigeria and Russia will
work together to improve efficiency of Nigeria’s oil sector, “which is
the backbone of the economy.”
“The cooperation, in a way will see to the rehabilitation of epileptic
oil refineries through establishment of framework for a joint venture
between Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and
Russia-based leading oil company, Lukoil.”
Both NNPC and Lukoil, according to a presidential statement, will work
towards the prospect of oil in deep offshore. This acquisition will
help in no little measure to fight insurgency and other such criminal
activities. But it did not end there. Of course you will not deal with
Russia and not buy military equipment. So Nigeria has reached an
agreement for that federation to supply us their 12 gun-ship
helicopters. There are many other Memoranda of Understanding that was
signed.
The much touted Lagos-Calabar coastal railway track received a boost.
The Russians agreed to fund and construct the 1,400-kilometre line
which has spurs to different parts of southern Nigeria. But it will be
the first time a rail track will connect the eastern and western part
of the country. This rail line and the funding has been a constant
battle. Some multinational companies had shown interest but no deal
had pulled through. China is presently constructing the
Lagos-Ibadan-Kano line.
There were mentions of the comatose Aluminum Smelter Plant, the
Ajaokuta Steel plant which the government of Russia has said it will
revitalize as fallouts of the Sochi summit. The areas of focus are
quite commendable. These are pure economic value centre of which if
seen through will greatly enhance the Nigerian economy.
But it is also important for some explanations to be made by those
concerned. The minister of foreign affairs should not return and
retire into the quietness of his office. There should be a full
disclosure of what the terms of these many agreements are and the
burden they may impose on Nigeria going forward. What is in it for the
Russians? If they are loans, how do we plan to pay back? If they are
concessions, for how many years? Indeed are these not just mere MOUs?
We have seen MOUs before that nothing came out of, how are these ones
different? In the end, our fear is that our vulnerability should not
be taken advantage of by the particularly adept power player called
Putin. His country was accused of meddling in political processes in
America and other places; we hope this is simply an economic
relationship policy not a strategic political positioning gambit that
may leave us worse off.
