Do African Legislatures Matter in Foreign Policy Decision-Making? Notes from Nigeria

This paper argues that, in Africa, despite the central role of legislatures in democratic governance, their influence in foreign policy decision-making has often been limited, even in countries with constitutional frameworks that specify shared responsibility with the executive. Drawing on observations from Nigeria, the paper establishes that, despite the chief executive’s tendency to neglect the legislature in foreign policy decision-making, the Nigerian National Assembly between 1999 and 2007 exerted considerable influence on foreign policy, to the point that it could not be ignored, despite its many challenges. These influences were most evident in areas such as budgetary approvals, the deployment of the military for combat missions abroad, the granting of asylum status to President Charles Taylor of Liberia, and external debt forgiveness, to mention just a few. The federal government’s attempt to undermine the House of Representatives on some issues had adverse repercussions for Nigeria’s foreign policy outcome. This paper recommends that Nigeria, and indeed African countries, should strive to strengthen the role of legislatures in foreign policy, not only as a safeguard of the hard-won democracy but also to make the government more accountable to the people.