THE MEDIA IN NIGERIA'S FOREIGN POLICY: CHALLENGES AN PROSPECTS

The role of the media in the formulation and implementation of the foreign policy of Nigeria is a critically, but intrinsically, important role. In this paper, the complex understanding of the relationship between the Nigerian media and the country foreign relations is being explored with the dual role of the media in the Nigerian statecraft being analyzed as the source of public discourse and the tool of statecraft. It contends that in as much as the media can be a powerful tool in the making of a proactive and democratic foreign policy, it is considerably limited by a host of internal and external issues. The opportunities of the media are discussed in the light of its ability to establish the agenda of the population, establish the nationally agreed stance on global affairs, offer critical commentary on the activities of the government, and project the soft power and cultural influence of Nigeria on other countries. It can serve as a check and balances, keeping the government accountable in its international affairs, and as a means of public diplomacy, making publicity of the Nigerian stances to the world community. But there are deep challenges that curb these prospects. These involve the constraints of structural nature of the media industry itself which includes commercial demands, sensationalism and lack of special correspondent on foreign policy. More importantly the media is generally in a narrow working environment that is affected by government interest, patronism and sometimes even direct censorship that can affect its freedom and critical opinion. Besides, the paper also speaks of the effects of ethno-religious biases in the context of media reporting that may dismantle the sense of national unity and coherence in foreign policy.  To ensure that the media achieves all that it has the potential, there should be a united action towards more professionalism, editorial freedom and dedication to analytic and not descriptive journalism. At the same time, the Nigerian government should understand the importance of an independent media as an accomplice in the development of a robust and yet legitimized foreign policy by the people.