Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, has said Nigeria does not have a foreign policy objective. He posited Nigeria can be a better country “if we have leaders, ministers who can think.”

This he stated at the Book Launch of Bola Akinteriwa titled “Strategic Autonomy As A Foreign Policy Grand Strategy For Nigeria: The Doctrine of 4-Ds held at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Victoria Island. He advised that if Nigeria can use the doctrines of the four Ds ( Democracy, Development, Demography, and Diaspora), it can be a foundation for a new foreign policy.

At the book Launch event, which coincided with the birthday of the Foreign Affairs Minister, Professor Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, it was a gathering of Intellectuals who came to support Prof. Bola Akinterinwa, a former Director General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) and President/Director General, Bolytag Centre for International Diplomacy and Strategic Studies (BOCIDASS) as he launched his book.

The event was compered by veteran journalist, Dr Reuben Abati and had in attendance Prof Bolaji Akinyemi as the chairman of the event, Foreign Affairs Minister, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar as the Special guest of honour, Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Vice Chancellor of Achievers University, Prof. O.O. Irinoye, Erelu Kuti IV of Lagos, Princess Abiola Dosumu. Prof. Akinterinwa said that he gathered scholars from different disciplines to get the book ready and added, “Strategic autonomy is nothing more than self-reliance.

We are looking at how we can attain the level of self reliance at the nuclear family level, community level, state level, national level and so on, in this globalising world.

We need to control this, terrorising the whole world.” Adding that there should be anti -terror measures, “I believe that international politicians have a responsibility to get the ideas of the times and to work it out.”

Director& General Nigerian Institute Of International Affairs, Prof. Eghosa Osaghae, while reviewing the author of the book, said: “The first is, when I saw the book, I was reminded of the difference, if at all, between an encyclopedia and a book.

I was wondering what was going through the publisher’s mind in calling this a book. You probably have had three or four volumes from this one book, never mind that there are eight sections in the book, meaning that every one section could easily become a book and would have had a book of eight volumes.