THE IMPORTANCE OF GLOBALIZATION ON NIGERIA FOREIGN RELATION

This study investigates the significance of globalization on Nigeria's foreign relations considering its diplomatic, economic and foreign policy activities. Heavily focused on the 21st century, the research examines the effects of economic globalization on Nigerian economic growth, trade relations, FDI, and diplomatic policies. This study adopts the use of secondary data to examine Nigeria's membership in global organizations, its changing foreign policy priorities, and the implications of digital globalization for the country's presence on the world stage. The data reveals that although globalization presents Nigeria with potential prospects in trade and global partnerships, the country struggles with obstacles such as reliance on oil revenue, poor infrastructure, and political uncertainty, which impede Nigeria's ability to fully leverage global opportunities. Specific findings include the fact that the globalization process has the potential to reinforce or even exacerbate existing regional, social and economic inequalities in Nigeria due to the fact that the country is one of the largest beneficiaries of globalization, as a recipient of foreign investments, migrants, and commodities, but has suffered from marginalization in the international sphere; other implications documented that while globalization creates opportunities for growth, it is important for Nigeria to leverage these opportunities to grow both economically and socially, noting that Nigeria should also turn to its vast reservoir of human capital to maximize the benefits derived from globalization; and while emphasizing the need for Nigeria to rise to the level of digital technologies in the 21st century to make itself relevant in the global community via a global presence, it also emphasizes the need to first tackle the issue of the digital divide that exists in Nigeria so that the benefits of globalization are equitably shared across society. This shows that Nigeria's foreign policy has shifted towards economic and digital diplomacy. These favourable trends would therefore enable Nigeria redirect its focus towards a robust economic modernisation agenda that engenders production, employment and sustainability in the continued wanton pipeline roll in of globalisation economic tide. It also offers suggestions for future research on the political, social, and technological ramifications of globalization in Nigeria, providing a nuanced understanding of the challenges Nigeria confronts in a fast-globalizing society.