Former Minister of External Affairs, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, has advised Nigeria and other nations in the Global South to avoid being dragged into disputes between world powers, warning that the Russia-Ukraine war holds critical lessons.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Sunday, the renowned political scientist said smaller nations must narrowly define their national interests rather than aligning with competing blocs in the Global North.
“Nations like the Global South must avoid becoming pawns in the conflict between world powers.
“Let us define our national interests very narrowly, so that it does not become part of the interests of any global power,” he said.
Akinyemi also questioned the credibility of international institutions, citing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s appearance at a recent summit in Alaska despite an active International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant for his arrest.
“As the most powerful country in the world, the behaviour of the United States in hosting Putin undermines the legitimacy of the ICC,” he argued.
According to him, the Alaska meeting revealed “winners and losers,” with Putin emerging stronger while Ukraine, Europe, and the U.S. appeared weakened on the global stage.
He also dismissed claims that the talks signaled progress toward peace, pointing instead to signs of renewed Russian ambition.
“When the Russian foreign minister turned up in Alaska, he wore a T-shirt with the inscription ‘Soviet Union.’ That tells you the aim of Putin is to reconstitute the Soviet Union. There was no move towards peace at all,” he added.
On Nigeria’s role, Akinyemi stressed that the country must act responsibly as Africa’s largest nation and the world’s leading black power, warning against blindly taking sides.
“The black population of the world looks up to us. We must take ourselves seriously and not get caught on the side of any global power,” he said.
He further noted that the conflict carries direct economic implications for Nigeria, particularly in the oil and energy sector, where Western sanctions on Russia are reshaping global markets.
Nigeria, he said, must carefully weigh its options to avoid collateral damage from decisions taken in Washington, Moscow, or Brussels.