Abstract:
Scholars predicted that with the enthronement of the democratic rule which the United States backed in May 1999, Nigeria’s relations with the United States will be set for a new course with greater depth and stability.The situation however was that these rejuvenated inter relations coincided with the increase in incidences of terrorism in the Middle East, the removal of sanctions placed on Nigeria by the Western countries, the increasing US demand for Nigeria’s oil, and the continous offer of co operations and aid by the United States to Nigeria. Nigeria thus, being a key figure in the Gulf of Guinea, has most of its income for foreign policy implementation from the sale of Crude oil and majors in importation of goods and services. The study anchored analysis on the Dependency theory and collected data from secondary sources which were descriptively analysed. As its problem of study, the study confronted the potency of Nigeria having independent and sovereign formulations and implementation of foreign policies since its main source of income is from crude oil sales and the United States, on the other hand, has been its biggest buyer; hence, the interrogation of whether Nigeria’s foreign policy, within the period of 1999 – 2010, was conditioned and limited by the foreign policies of the United States. The study finds that the United States does not underestimate the importance of having Nigeria, with its leading position in Africa, as both a political and economic ally and would thus, take keen interest in its national/economic and foreign policies. However, the study recommends that for true independent policies, Nigeria could change its position of dependency by expanding its crude oil market to more buyers and by encouraging true economic diversification. Since as the scenario would have it, the correlation between the two nations and their foreign policy interests, if not properly managed, could put the future sovereignty of Nigeria in the international arena to question. In other words, cautionary measures must be taken.
