Human Rights in Nigeria's External Relations: Building the Record of a Moral Superpower

(Hardback)

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This book is a broad-ranging argument for thorough reforms at home and abroad in Nigeria as the only antidote to the nation-building dilemmas Nigeria confronts in the first quarter of the twenty-first century. Because of its enormous material and human endowments, Nigeria is dubbed the Giant of Africa. It is a moniker many of its leaders take seriously. Yet, Nigeria is a state rife with instability, some of it periodically erupting into violence. Given still-ongoing national security challenges in the land that notoriously includes a bloody religion-oriented terrorism, the Fourth Republic since 1999, the longest period of continuous democratic rule since independencekey to the timeline of this bookhas not been insulated from the spell of instability. The main argument of this work is that internationally agreed-upon ethical standards embedded in human rights can save Nigeria. This book is a methodologically and theoretically-grounded, seminal discourse on Nigerian foreign relations that spells out the human rights or lack thereof in those relations, including underlying and impinging domestic forces. This work is set around six issues of application embedded in a temple of Nigerias human rights foreign policy, comprising two steps and four pillars: reconstructed national interest, increased human rights at home, redesigned peacekeeping, reshaped foreign policy machinery, increased bilateralism in foreign relations, and the use of ECOWAS as human rights tool. Although focused on the period since independence, for proper understanding of events from the past that shape the current patterns of politics in the land, this book also embodies a historical background chapter that overviews the pre-colonial and colonial eras.

Reviews

Aka presents a timely, compelling and rigorous analysis of Nigeria's role in defending both domestic and international human rights. Aka makes his case through a masterful narrative that weaves the strands of history, law and politics into a compelling argument why Nigeria needs to let "charity begin at home". This is a must-read for scholars, activists and students interested in understanding the past, present and future of Nigeria's political and legal trajectory in the international system. -- Josephine Dawuni, Howard University
Brilliantly written. Dr. Philip Aka, a legal and political science scholar and professor, has finally emerged with a classic book that grapples with incessant human rights abuses and challenges in Nigeria. This book will be useful inside and outside the academy. Here's the volume of readings and ideas that directs us towards the much needed human rights famished country: Nigeria. -- Emeka Nwadiora, Temple University

Author Bio

Philip C. Aka is professor of political science at Chicago State University and adjunct professor of law at the Robert H. McKinney School of Law at Indianapolis.