International records / OpenAlex research

Nigeria's 'manifest destiny' in West Africa: dominance without power

"Ever since independence, messianic references to a natural Nigerian leadership in the affairs of the African continent have been ingrained in the conduct of Nigeria's foreign policy. Internationally, Nigeria's endowments of human and natural resources, deeply asymmetrical interactions with neighboring states and the active engagement of successive regimes in the affairs of the continent have called for the country's treatment as a regional power and a pivotal state for West Africa. However, Nigeria's 'manifest destiny' remains more about influence than power. The country's unsteady projection…