WILBERFORCE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCES (WJSS)
ISSN: 2504 – 9232
Volume 10, No. 2, November 2025
Pages 41-66
DOI: 10.36108/wjss/5202.01.0230
NIGERIA’S FOREIGN POLICY AND FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT: AN EVALUATION OF GOODLUCK JONATHAN AND MAHAMMADU BUHARI’S ADMINISTRATIONS, 2010-2021
Rosemary Anaele
Department of Political Science, Faculty of the Social Sciences, Delta State University, Abraka, Delta State, Nigeria
Abstract
This work examined Nigeria’s foreign policy and foreign direct investment between the periods 2010 to 2021. The general objective was to critically investigate the implications of insecurity on Nigeria’s foreign policy and the effect on her foreign direct investment. Linkage theory was adopted as the theoretical framework. Data were collected from secondary sources which includes, books, articles, newspapers, among others and presented in tables and charts, where necessary. The findings revealed that domestic insecurity challenges such as the activities from the boko haram, fulani herdsmen, bandits and self-determination impacted negatively on Nigeria’s foreign policy. Thus, it revealed further that, using the NTI indicator to measure the level of insecurity, while there was a significant increase in the severity of attacks between 2013 and 2014, during the last two years of Jonathan’s administration, there was also a decline in the inflow of FDI between these periods. Foreign direct investment at its peak from ($8.56bn) in 2011 dropped to ($4.6bn) in 2014, and was at an all-time low from ($3.0bn) in 2015 to ($875m) in 2021 with a heavy increase in terrorist attacks, showing a significant relationship between insecurity and the slowdown of FDI inflow. The study concluded that there is a significant connection between domestic insecurity and Nigeria’s foreign policy and that Nigeria is losing its relevance internationally because of her internal security challenges. Thus, the study recommended that domestically addressing the basic causes and providing a pragmatic solution to insecurity and instability aided by the instrumentality of foreign policy should be a priority of the Nigerian government.
Keywords: Foreign Policy, Foreign Direct Investment, Insecurity, Multilateral and Bilateral Relations, Economic Growth