The notion of national interest is a cornerstone in the art of governance. It serves as the fundamental impetus behind the very existence of governments. In democratic societies, a miscalculation in this area can erode public trust and result in a loss of electoral support. Consequently, each nation crafts its foreign policy with a primary focus on ensuring the prosperity and preservation of the state.
“Many leaders have failed to provide inclusive leadership that addresses widening inequality among their citizens.”
National interest
Theoretically speaking, there’s a lively debate about the role of national interests in shaping foreign policy. On one side of the argument, we have the compelling theses of renowned scholars like Hobbes, Hans Morgenthau, and Machiavelli, who assert that national interest should be the cornerstone of any state’s actions on the global stage.
These scholars, often dubbed the realists, advocate for a pragmatic view of international relations, emphasising that a clear-eyed understanding of both global dynamics and human nature is essential for effective statecraft. They argue that actions and reactions on the world stage should be guided by practical considerations, with moral impulses kept in check. Conversely, the idealists champion the notion that foreign policy should be rooted in ethical principles. They hold a more optimistic belief in humanity’s capacity for reason and the creation of policies that serve the mutual interests of all involved parties.
The term “National Interest” is simply “the interest of the state as defined by the government.” A school of thought sees national interest as “a sovereign state’s goals and ambitions—economic, military, cultural, or otherwise—taken to be the aim of the government.” Public intellectuals are of the view that the term national interest is often shrouded in ambiguity and can be interpreted in various ways depending on the context. The ambiguity hinders the process of formulating a universally accepted definition of the term national interest.” Though it’s a crucial concept in international relations, frequently wielded by statesmen and policymakers to rationalise their countries’ actions.
Issues of national interest
Nations use national interests to pursue power, wealth, and security. For example, Adolf Hitler invoked “German national interests” to legitimise his expansionist agenda. The P-5 countries are the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, namely: the USA, China, France, Russia, and the UK. They are the superpowers having the resources, armed forces, and international clout to dominate the world, and indeed, Africa. These powerful countries talk of non-proliferation of arms control in terms of the national interests of all the nations.
In a 1980 State of the Union address, President Jimmy Carter indicated that free world access to foreign oil was a vital interest of the United States. It’s in the US’s national interest to play a role in the economic and political activities in the Caribbean nation of Haiti. Kenya has volunteered to lead a UN-approved force to Haiti.
Nigeria recognised China as an industrialised economy and adopted China’s strategy of establishing industries within the country rather than importing finished products. This led the Federal Government to develop a policy aimed at forming an alliance with rapidly growing economies like China, aligning with the nation’s national interest.
Today’s world
In today’s interconnected world, globalisation has significantly transformed the way we perceive national interests. As countries become increasingly interdependent, their interests also become intertwined. Complex issues like terrorism, trade wars, inequality, poverty, pandemics, climate change, hunger, and leadership failures can no longer be addressed through a lens of pure self-interest.
However, it’s been observed that leadership failures seem a recurring decimal across the globe. Many leaders have failed to provide inclusive leadership that addresses widening inequality among their citizens. This has sparked protests in many countries around the world. The protests have broadly been against corruption, inequality, injustice, poverty, economic hardship, hunger, unemployment, poor governance, and a lack of transparency and accountability.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine disrupted global energy and food markets amid decades of high inflation. The world is struggling with the effects of the Sudan and Libya crises, the Israel-Hamas war, the Israel-Hezbollah tension, and the Haiti gang violence. Food, energy bills, and rents have also risen globally, resulting in untold hardship among the poor. As a result of poor leadership, some of these challenges have resulted in violence and disruption of public peace. Consequently, peace has been truncated in the UK, Bangladesh, the Middle East, Venezuela, Kenya, Nigeria, and others. As a result, Europe has attracted a lot of migrants escaping war, poverty, and natural disasters.
Nations are now inclined to follow what some scholars refer to as the “global commons.” These are common unifying global issues that face all states, no matter what their power and security status are in the international arena. Interdependence links together the fate of nations to an increasing degree in today’s world, where money, goods, people, information, technology, pollution, and disease flow across continents.
Because the prosperity and security of states are linked together, most governments find themselves constrained to meet threats or pursue opportunities through unilateral actions. This is why international relations experts are concerned whether states can uphold their own national interests in the face of these global challenges. After all, it may be in a country’s economic self-interest to pursue policies that protect her industries from the ravaging of stronger nations or corporate entities.
Read also: Many politicians put their own interests ahead of national interest — Christopher Kolade
Some nations, especially the powerful ones, continue to pursue their national interests abroad through political, economic, and military means. Take China, for example. Its strategy for safeguarding its interests overseas primarily revolves around diplomatic cooperation, complemented by a restrained military presence that stops short of outright force. This approach is particularly relevant for a nation with significant economic and human investments across numerous African countries.
Beyond the well-known superpowers, a host of medium powers have joined the “scramble for Africa.” Nations like Japan, South Korea, India, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, and Turkey have all ramped up their interest in the continent. The pressing question is: will African leaders seize the opportunities this renewed focus on Africa presents? And more specifically, what are Nigeria’s national interests in engaging with these countries? Many African nations are actively exploring avenues to capitalise on this fresh wave of diplomatic engagement and international cooperation.
In today’s intricate and unpredictable world, it’s evident that numerous actors are vying for their own survival. The notion of national interest often appears shortsighted. Take Nigeria, for instance; it faces significant internal challenges that must be addressed before it can focus on its national interests on a global stage. Ultimately, the fundamental needs of all citizens will shape global interests. Finding an internationalist perspective that accurately reflects the national interests of every country may prove to be a daunting task. Thank you
MA Johnson, Rear Admiral (Rtd)
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