Recent developments in Nigeria have raised significant concerns regarding the potential for foreign intervention in the country’s domestic affairs.
Based on this, the Nigerian Political Science Association (NPSA) on Friday emphasised the need for caution and prudence in dealing with the issue of foreign intervention.
The association also stressed that Nigerians must prioritise domestic solutions and resist the temptation to seek external fixes. “By doing so, we can ensure a more stable and prosperous future for our nation.”
According to Hassan A. Saliu, president, NPSA, the trend of invoking external assistance to address internal issues is worrisome and warrants critical examination. During the August 2024 “#End Hunger”/”#Endbadgovernance” protest, some demonstrators called upon Russia and other nations to intervene in Nigeria’s affairs, a move widely perceived as an aberration.
“Regrettably, a prominent opposition figure recently extended a similar invitation to a foreign country, ostensibly to restore stability amid party-related disputes. This call comes about against the backdrop of the United States’ threat of intervention over the alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
“Our Association stated on 3rd November 2025 through a release, cautioning against such American threats and emphasising that the root causes of external concerns are largely homegrown.
“We had argued that solutions to Nigeria’s problems should be sought domestically rather than through foreign intervention. While acknowledging possible exaggerations in the US claims, we recognised that ongoing violence and loss of life have compromised the country’s defence and its stance on the details of the killings in Nigeria, thereby calling the US claims into question.
“Specifically, we are alarmed by the recent invitation extended to the United States which is already having tense relations with Nigeria to intervene and ‘save democracy.’”
He noted that “In light of America’s track record of interventions, it is imperative to scrutinise the motivations behind such calls. Historical evidence suggests that US interventions are most often informed by its national interests, specifically its economic interests, rather than by altruism.
“The proclivity of Nigerian politicians to seek external validation and intervention is, therefore, troubling.
“Some politicians and religious-based NGOs have developed a habit of petitioning western countries, calling for intervention in Nigeria’s domestic affairs with a long history behind it. While acknowledging the frustration and multiplicity of national concerns that informed the calls, we urge caution and restraint.
“The United States, in particular, is not an ideal partner for resolving Nigeria’s security challenges, given its alleged involvement in insecurity within the country. It is worth noting that its interventions in Iraq, Libya, Somalia, and Syria have yielded disastrous consequences for those nations.”
The group further said: “This reality is especially true of Somalia, where people justified the US intervention on humanitarian grounds (some would argue to evacuate its citizens). Its subsequent involvement with the United Nations produced a situation described as ‘a world forgotten tragedy,’ a condition that, in our view, remains a Hobbesian state of nature.
“Nigeria should learn important lessons from history, which is unkind to any foreign intervention, particularly by the United States.
“Rather than inviting foreign powers, Nigerians should pressure their government to address the root causes of insecurity. The government must understand that the recourse to external intervention is a double-edged sword and that citizens are already on the edge. It is not in its enlightened self-interest to allow conditions to deteriorate to the point that external intervention becomes inevitable. The solution to Nigeria’s problems lies in effective governance, not external intervention.”
