The Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Yakubu Gowon University, Abuja have agreed to collaborate on diplomatic training, policy research and capacity building to strengthen Nigeria’s foreign service and align the country’s foreign policy with national development priorities.

The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb Sola Enikanolaiye, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja while receiving the management of the former University of Abuja, now Yakubu Gowon University, led by its Vice-Chancellor, Prof Hakeem Fawehinmi, during a courtesy visit.

According to a statement issued on Thursday by the ministry’s spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, the partnership will focus on training, research, migration management and promoting ECOWAS awareness among students.

Enikanolaiye said Nigeria’s foreign policy must remain people-centred and support the administration’s 4Ds Foreign Policy Doctrine of Demography, Development, Democracy and Diaspora.

“Foreign policy must be centred on the Nigerian people and must deliver tangible outcomes in prosperity, job creation, security and overall well-being,” he said.

The statement added that the minister stressed that democracy and security should serve as tools for improving citizens’ standard of living.

He also underscored the need to strengthen the ministry’s human resource capacity through continuous training, retraining and research to build a professional foreign service capable of responding to evolving global realities.

As part of the proposed collaboration, Enikanolaiye said the ministry and the university would jointly organise mid-career training programmes, revitalise the Nigerian Foreign Service Academy, undertake policy research to support evidence-based decision-making, promote managed migration and establish ECOWAS clubs in tertiary institutions to deepen students’ understanding of the regional bloc.

He also directed relevant directors in the ministry to develop modalities for regular engagements between the university and ambassadors and high commissioners’ resident in Nigeria.

Speaking on behalf of the university’s governing council, Senate, management, staff and students, Fawehinmi said the institution was well positioned to support the ministry’s objectives.

He said, “Yakubu Gowon University, as the only federal conventional university in the FCT with a student population of over 40,000, is well positioned to collaborate with the ministry.”

The vice-chancellor identified the university’s Directorate of Foreign Studies and Foreign Languages and the Centre for Migration and Security Studies as key platforms for cooperation in staff and student exchanges, educational and cultural programmes, as well as postgraduate professional training for ministry officials and members of the diplomatic corps.

He also sought the ministry’s support in convening a forum that would bring together ambassadors and high commissioners to explore areas of collaboration with the university.

Both parties agreed to establish a joint working team to develop the framework for implementing the areas of cooperation, with the ministry reaffirming its commitment to partnering with academic institutions to strengthen Nigeria’s diplomatic capacity and enhance the country’s global image.