By Erasmus Ikhide
PROF. Eghosa Osaghae, the Director General(DG) of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), is undoubtedly a man with a midas touch whose seminal and forensic approach to institution building resonates in his never-say-die spirit. As the Vice-Chancellor of Igbinedion University, Okada, for 14 years (2004-2018) prior to his appointment as the Director-General of NIIA in March 2021, the renowned political scientist and academic of repute elevated and signed-posted the premier private tertiary institution to global reckoning in less than two decades.
The blockbuster in his distinguished career with numerous academic and professional achievements at the University of Ibadan, aside holding various visiting professorships and fellowships at institutions worldwide, including the University of London, University of Cape Town, and Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study is reputed as a development angel.
Some of his notable initiatives at the NIIA include boosting staff morale. In the last four years, Prof. Osaghae has prioritized improving the welfare and morale of NIIA staff, recognizing their crucial role in achieving the institute’s objectives. Added to that is the enhancement of research and collaboration. As a renowned scholar, Prof. Osaghae has emphasized the importance of research and collaboration in addressing global challenges. That he has achieved substantially by fostering partnerships with international organizations and institutions to promote knowledge sharing and capacity building.
Most importantly, he has prioritized promoting Nigeria’s interests abroad. His appointment since 2021 has been instrumental in promoting Nigeria’s interests abroad, leveraging his extensive network and expertise to facilitate diplomatic engagements and economic cooperation. He has been able to achieve that through fostering inclusive development. Under his watch, his advocacy for inclusive development, recognizing the need to address the diverse needs and concerns of Nigeria’s various stakeholders, has gained prominence in NIIA.
The rekindling of NIIA’s four main objectives of conducting research on international relations, diplomacy, and global issues, providing policy advice to the Nigerian government on international affairs, promoting Nigeria’s interests abroad and fostering cooperation with other countries, as well as serving as a think tank and resource center for scholars, policymakers, and the general public, is the major achievement of the institute since 1961. What cannot be taken away from the nation’s ‘policy house’ is that, as a reputable institution, it has made fundamentally significant contributions to Nigeria’s foreign policy and international relations.
We must not forget the critical moments in Nigeria’s history and the crucial role NIIA played, which are significant in shaping the country’s response to major events, such as independence, civil war, and economic crises. Under this period, the NIIA’s research and recommendations served as catalysts for change, influencing Nigeria’s foreign policy, international relations, and domestic development strategies. It has influenced individuals and leaders in no small measure. From available records, certain individuals within the NIIA and associated with the institution have been instrumental in driving change, either through their research, policy advice, or leadership engagements.
Lately, most of these single-minded innovative policies, which demonstrate Prof. Osaghae’s commitment to transforming Nigeria’s international relations and promoting sustainable development, endeared the likes of the Controller-General of Nigeria Customs Service, Mr. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, a highly respected figure in the Nigerian customs community, to build an endowed “Centre for International Trade and Investment in NIIA. As a strong advocate for innovation, cooperation, integration and modernization within the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Mr. Adeniyi found fertile ground in building a progressive partnership with NIIA. It is to his leadership credit that the NCS has harnessed the power of data analytics to enhance its core mandates, including revenue collection, trade facilitation, and enforcement operations.
Another potential “change agent” and associate of the NIIA is Dr. Dayo Mobereola, the Director General(DG) of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), who has introduced several innovative policies to drive growth and development in the maritime sector. In that sector, Mobereola has emphasized the importance of inclusivity in developing the maritime sector, encouraging collaboration and cooperation among stakeholders to achieve sustainable growth. Under his watch, Dr. Dayo has pioneered enhanced efficiency and streamline processes, having committed to expediting the automation of ship registry, which has significantly boosted shipping development in Nigeria.
Dr. Dayo, who has prioritized environmental sustainability and Nigeria’s greatness, has emphasized the need for international friendly engagement practices in the maritime sector; he is well aware of the significance of synergy and collaboration in the public sector. His broadmindedness towards workable institutions across the country led him into the innovative ideal of renovating the critical and much desired NIIA’s International Conference Hall that bears the relics of ancient imprimatur.
More elevating is Prince Adewole Adebayo’s magnificently built Centre for Cultural Diplomacy as one of his countless endowment projects to propagate and uplift the Nigerian project. As a lawyer, philanthropist, entrepreneur, and politician who has made significant impact in various fields and from a distinguished lineage, being a direct descendant of Osemawe Odunola and grandson of Osemawe Lamele, it doesn’t need retelling what informed his deliberate and tireless commitment to a functional institution like NIIA.
The founder of KAFTAN TV, a television station that broadcasts in several African countries, who has also sponsored over 2,000 young Nigerians in tertiary institutions, coupled with the financial empowerment of hundreds of women in Ondo State and beyond, Adebayo has written his name on the wall of time as a dealer in hope. Though known for his forensic brilliance as the presidential standard bearer in the 2023 general election under the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adebayo is truly an embodiment of hope personified for a new Nigeria.
With Prof. Eghosa Osaghae at the helm of affairs of the NIIA, and the collaborative efforts of Prince Adewole Adebayo, Dr. Dayo Mobereola, Mr. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi and more positive-sum thinking individuals, a new Nigeria is possible!
Erasmus khide contributed this piece via: ikhideluckyerasmus@gmail.com
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