An Overview of Nigeria's Foreign Policy During the 2nd Republic with Particular Reference to ECOWAS Membership

The foreign policy of a country towards inter-governmental organizations has become a Predominant characteristic in the contemporary world order, and Nigeria is an active member of the international community. Its foreign policy towards Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and its formation in 1975 is examined based on Nigeria’s contributions to the regional organization. The objectives of this article are; to explain the historical background of Nigerian foreign policy during the 2nd Republic; to analyze Nigerian foreign policy approach towards ECOWAS in the 2nd Republic Era; and, finally, to evaluate the strength and weakness of the Nigerian foreign policy in the direction of ECOWAS during 2nd Republic. The application of the content analytical method which was used in this article is to realize the objectives set out in the article and to allow the author give a basic conclusion, mainly that foreign policy is an effective mechanism in projecting a country’s image and policy direction abroad in modern international relations system