By Joy Odor, Reportcircle News
Abuja, February 5, 2026
In a rare convergence of Africa’s diplomatic and intellectual elite, three heavyweight voices, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, CFR, His Royal Highness Khalifa Muhammad Sanusi II, and Ambassador Gani Lawal, PhD, FFRP delivered unflinching assessments of Nigeria’s democratic journey and Africa’s continental future at the 8th Annual Conference and Lecture of the Association of Foreign Relations Professionals of Nigeria (AFRPN).
The event, held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Abuja, brought together heads of government institutions, members of the diplomatic corps, the African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Ambassador Bankole Adeyeye, and leading foreign policy stakeholders under the theme: “The Challenge of Democratic Governance in Africa: Mega Trends and Leveraging Opportunities for Consolidation.”
Opening the conference, Professor Ibrahim Gambari, Chairman of the Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development, painted a stark picture of a world where democratic failure and social frustration have become globalised threats.
“We are living in interesting times,” Gambari declared, invoking the famous Chinese proverb, before cautioning that the era is double-edged, carrying both opportunity and peril.
Drawing on decades of diplomatic experience, he highlighted Africa’s demographic advantage and vast resources but warned that endowments alone cannot feed people.
“Potential alone cannot feed people,” he stressed, recalling a warning from a former UN Secretary-General about Nigeria being eternally “potentially rich.”
Gambari argued that Africa risks deepening democratic and social discontent if leaders fail to convert opportunities into visible improvements in security, welfare, and inclusion.
He outlined pillars for democratic consolidation, including:
Recruiting leaders with integrity and vision
Ensuring the state guarantees security and equal citizenship
Forging elite consensus around economic transformation
Reforming political parties as genuine democratic institutions
He urged African elites to go beyond rhetoric on “democratic dividends,” emphasizing that accountability requires not just promises, but measurable results.
Gambari concluded by lauding AFRPN as a vital platform for mentorship and national conversation on foreign policy, highlighting the guest lecture by Ambassador Bankole Adeyeye as a rare opportunity for continental insight.
Next, His Royal Highness, Khalifa Muhammad Sanusi II, Sarkin Kano, offered a piercing reflection on the state of democracy and diplomacy in Africa.
He warned that nations that neglect professional diplomacy, intellectual rigor, and institutional memory risk strategic irrelevance.
Describing the Foreign Affairs Ministry as his “second home,” Sanusi recalled growing up as the son of a career diplomat, noting that he has “graduated from being a son of the Ministry to a father.”
Reflecting on Nigeria’s historic diplomatic moments, including the break with the UK, he stressed that foreign policy shapes national destiny.
Rejecting the notion that today’s global turbulence is unprecedented, Sanusi said, “We have always lived in interesting times,” emphasizing that the challenge is navigating change intelligently.
Sanusi delivered a searing critique of the politicization of Nigeria’s foreign service, warning that the erosion of career diplomacy has undermined strategic coherence:
Career diplomats have declined from 75% to political appointees in key missions
Political rewards now overshadow professional competence
Diplomacy risks becoming a trivialized, ceremonial exercise
“You don’t send someone to represent Nigeria abroad who lacks training,” Sanusi said. “Foreign policy is too important to trivialize.”
He praised AFRPN for documenting decades of diplomatic knowledge, launching a compendium of Great Lectures, and pledging support to intellectual resource development, asserting that Africa’s democratic consolidation depends on institutions staffed by thinkers, professionals, and patriots.
Closing the trio of heavyweight speeches, AFRPN President Ambassador Gani Lawal, PhD, FFRP, laid down a blueprint for Nigeria to convert international influence into domestic dividends.
Addressing a star-studded audience, including AU Commissioner Bankole Adeyeye, Lawal reminded Nigeria that 27 years of democracy must now produce tangible outcomes for citizens.
He outlined AFRPN’s Chinumbu 4D agenda, Demography, Democracy, Diaspora, and Development as strategic levers to accelerate growth and stability.
“This is not rhetoric,” he said. “It is about translating Nigeria’s global engagement into domestic performance.”
Lawal also highlighted AFRPN’s mentorship programs for young diplomats and senior officers, praising Professor Gambari for his hands-on involvement in training through the Savannah Center, which he described as invaluable for shaping Nigeria’s foreign policy future.
Identifying persistent structural gaps, Lawal called for:
A separate Foreign Service Commission
Smart codification of Nigeria’s foreign policy agenda
Proper accreditation of representatives at missions abroad
“These are not bureaucratic niceties,” he warned. “They are essential for Nigeria to punch its weight in the UN, AU, ECOWAS, and other multilateral platforms.”
Concluding, Lawal urged government, diplomats, and AFRPN members to convert ideas and expertise into measurable national outcomes, stressing that the forum must be a platform for action, not just talk.
As the 8th Annual Conference progressed into the guest lecture by Ambassador Bankole Adeyeye, the overriding message was clear:
Africa’s democratic promise is at a crossroads
Diplomatic expertise must align with domestic results
Institutions, mentorship, and professional standards are non-negotiable
Political elites must deliver tangible dividends or face rising discontent.
From Gambari’s global perspective to Sanusi II’s institutional warnings and Lawal’s practical blueprint, the conference delivered a rare, integrated roadmap for Nigeria and Africa, one where potential alone will no longer suffice, and performance is demanded at home and abroad.
