Why we must play Big Brother role

Any outbreak of war or disease in any country in the West African sub-region is a threat to Nigeria's national security.

In case we don't know, Nigeria is still paying the prize for the crisis in Gadaffi's Libya. Gaddaffi's arms illegally found their way to Boko Haram through the desert. In the dying days of Gaddaffi's regime, even Gaddafi's son, and hatchet man, sought refuge in Nigeria but Nigeria turned him down. And this is Libya in far away North Africa oh!

During the Apartheid onslaught in South Africa, all the ANC leaders including Mandela himself sought refuge in Nigeria. Nigeria accommodated them, and even availed them diplomatic passport to enable travel to Western countries for their anti-Apartheid campaigns. Mandela later brave the odds, went back home and was promptly arrested by the Apartheid regime.

So, imagine a crisis in a country nearby. When Ebola broke out in Liberia the next port of call was Nigeria. Have we forgotten? That is the nature of our strategic placement in West Africa in particular and Africa as a whole.

So, we must be proactive in forestalling any crisis in Africa because ultimately we will suffer it one way or another. And that is the whole crux of our Afro-centric foreign policy. That is the whole essence of our Big Brother role in Africa.