The press and Nigeria's isolationist foreign policy (1993-1998)

Kingsley Nworgu

doi:10.21438/rbgas(2021)081926

Abstract

Gen. Sani Abacha took over from Chief Ernest Shonekan's interim government which was formed when Gen Ibrahim Babangida "stepped aside". On assumption of office, Abacha was faced with the imminent disintegration of the country caused by the annulment of the June 12, 1993 election, widely believed to have been won by the late businessman, Chief M. K. O. Abiola. Also, threatening the administration was the activities of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) both at home and abroad. The main objective of this study was to find out how the press covered Nigeria's foreign policy within 1993-1998. The study involved content analysis, historical and case study designs. The instrument for data collection included content analysis of newspaper contents library material related to the subject matter. The sampling technique used for the study is the purposive sampling, involving all the newspaper stories, features, opinion articles on the subject matter. The population included all newspaper stories published on Abacha’s regime within the period of 1993-1998. A total sampling size of 56 news stories, articles and features were selected purposively through the constructed weeks based on two days interval. Four national newspapers, namely, The Guardian, This Day, the Vanguard and the Post Express were used. From the findings of the study we concluded that press reports on the examined foreign policy did not make much impact on the outcome of these foreign policy issues since the military regime in power never wanted opposition or criticisms. Therefore, the regime went ahead to Isolate itself from main stream international politics and the press was helpless due to the fear of being gagged or proscribed as was the practice of the Abacha's administration. However, the press assumed a patriotic posture in her support for the regime's approach to Bakassi Peninsula dispute between Nigeria and Cameroun. Also the issue of peace keeping in the sub-region got the strong approval of the Nigerian press, even when a cross section of Nigerian citizens were skeptical about the regime interventionist policy in Sierra Leone and Liberia.

Highlights

From the available data gathered through manifest content analysis of newspaper reports the results showed that there are three dominant foreign policy issues that attracted the attention of the press during the period 1993-1998
As has been noted by Ojugbana in The Guardian (Sunday, September 27, 1998), the real confusion which surely stared every Nigerian in the face was the fact that the press more than anybody or institution contributed greatly to the later manifestations of heavy handedness and even the self-succession bid of the late General Sani Abacha
The press was accused of working at cross-purpose with a section supporting the negative policies of the Abacha’s regime

Summary

Introduction

Gen. Sani Abacha took over from Chief Ernest Shonekan’s interim government which was formed when Gen Ibrahim Babangida “stepped aside”. Abacha was faced with the imminent disintegration of the country caused by the annulment of the June 12, 1993 election, widely believed to have been won by the late businessman, Chief M.K.O. Abiola. Threatening the administration was the activities of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) both at home and abroad. Against the background that Abacha’s foreign policy issues included the protection of the national security, prosperity, prestige and peace Abacha’s regime spent a lot of resources, time and opportunities trying to curtail or fight the supposed enemies of the administration. Little attention was paid to an articulate and purposeful

Objectives

Methods

Discussion

Conclusion