Why Nigeria should initiate consultations towards establishing South Atlantic Treaty Organisation —Bolaji Akinyemi

POINTING to pieces of evidence of a decline of the old world order and a scramble for a new world order, a former Minister of External Affairs, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, has urged the Nigerian government to actively join the global search for a new world order. 

So as not to be left behind and keep away the superpowers in the emerging new world order, Akinyemi said it had become expedient for Nigeria to immediately initiate consultations with all countries bordering the South Atlantic Ocean to- wards establishing the South Atlantic Treaty Organisation. 

According to Akinyemi, in a statement, COVID-19, Omicron, the rise of China as a global super power and the present Russsian-Ukraine war are not just usual circumstances but pointers to the decline of the old world order and scramble for a new world order. 

Though the characteristics of the new world order are yet unknown, Akinyemi said Nigeria cannot afford to take the backseat and leave the creation of the new world order to two superpowers of the United States, China with some European medium-powers and their allies. 

In the same vein, the former minister urged the Nigerian government to embrace calls for an overhaul of the United Nations and seek to table a detailed blueprint on the paradigm of a new world order that enhances participation by the medium powers. 

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He brushed aside notions that lack of consensus among foreign policy elites in the country hinders Nigeria from being an active participant on the global scene. 

Akinyemi said what the nation lacks is a focused dialogue by the elite. To get the buy-in of the nation’s foreign policy elites, he said what was needed is the organisation of a joint conference by Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Institute of International Affairs and the office of the Chief of Staff to the President. 

The statement read: “Circumstances in the world today are not usual. COVID-19, Omicron, now the Russian-Ukraine war, and the rise of China as a global super-power have created what amounts to a decline of the old world order and a scrambling for a new world order. 

“The characteristics of the new world order are not known. What is clear is that there is a scramble by medium-income states to secure seats at the table to create a new world order. “No one wants to make the mistake of leaving the jigsaw puzzle to the two superpowers of US and China plus a few handpicked European medium-powers and their allies. 

“I urge Nigeria to join in the search for a new world order by becoming an active participant. 

“Nigeria should now initiate consultations with all the countries bordering the South Atlantic Ocean towards establishing the South Atlantic Treaty Organisation to keep away all the superpowers in the New World Order. 

“Even though the call to increase membership of the Security Council of the United Nations is decades old, the recent call by the President of Turkey to overhaul the United Nations is one that Nigeria should entertain and in consultation with medium-power countries examine the details. 

“Nigeria should seek to table a detailed blueprint on the paradigm of a new world order to enhance participation by the medium-powers. Nigeria is not going to be a recognised player in the New World Order unless its ideas and acts are backed by a military status. 

“Right now, Nigerian with a military budget of $2 billion is ranked in terms of capability as 35th in the world with 223,000 personnel. Pakistan, on the other hand, is ranked 10th with a budget of $10.3 billion, 654,000 personnel, 2,200 tanks, 582 aircraft. Nigeria knows what to do.”