Nigeria's foreign policy is guided by the principle of

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks for the guiding principle behind Nigeria's foreign policy, meaning the main consideration behind how Nigeria deals with other countries.

Step 2: Explain the concept Foreign policy is the set of strategies a country uses to interact with other nations. Every country's foreign policy rests on national interest, which is the protection and promotion of its security, economic well-being, sovereignty, and international standing.

Nigeria's foreign policy objectives, which come from its constitution (Section 19 of the 1999 Constitution) and long-standing practice, include:

• Promoting and protecting national interest
• Promoting African integration and unity
• Promoting international cooperation and peaceful conflict resolution
• Respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of other states
• Promoting a just world economic order
• Non-alignment and non-interference in other countries' internal affairs

Step 3: Evaluate the options

• A. Military dominance: Wrong. Nigeria favors peaceful settlement of disputes and uses its military mainly for peacekeeping (ECOMOG, UN missions).
• B. Economic self-sufficiency: Wrong. This is an economic goal, not the guiding principle of foreign policy. Nigeria actively seeks trade and cooperation with other countries.
• C. National interest: Correct. All of Nigeria's foreign policy decisions, from joining ECOWAS and the AU to its "Africa as the centerpiece" approach, serve this principle.
• D. Territorial expansion: Wrong. Nigeria respects the territorial integrity of other states and has no expansionist policy.

Step 4: Answer The correct answer is **C.

Exam tip: In Government questions on foreign policy, if "national interest" appears among the options, it is usually the answer. Be wary of options with aggressive words like "dominance" or "expansion," because Nigeria's policy is built on peace, cooperation, and non-interference.