Implications of the Transformation from the Organization of African Unity (OAU) to the African Union (AU) on Nigeria’s Foreign Policy from 2002 – 2014

ABSTRACT: The transformation of the OAU to the AU in 2002, is said to come with certain caveats and implication in the way Nigeria now formulate and pursue her foreign policy and national interest in the community of nations. The study was able to evaluate the impact of the transition of this „Pan-African‟ regional organization on Nigeria‟s external policy in line with her commitment to collective security in Africa. It goes on to study how the removal of the „non-interference clause‟ and its replacement with the principle of „non-indifference clause‟ in the AU Constitutive Act implied also on Nigeria‟s foreign policy. It further examined the impact of this transition in line with some of the policy initiatives introduced by the AU such as the New Partnership for Africa‟s Development NEPAD, and the African Peer Review Mechanism APRM on Nigeria‟s external relations. The study, finally concludes that despite the changes that came with the transition and Nigeria‟s commitment to ensuring the success of these changes, the degree of impact the transition is suppose have on Nigeria‟s foreign relations tends to be hampered by a number of challenges such as insurgency, non-cooperation amongst member states in tackling the problem of insecurity, double-standards in the application of the „non-indifference‟ doctrine, bad governance, corruption, weak institutional mechanism in proffering solutions to African problems among other contending problems. Keywords: African Union, Collective Security, Non-Indifference, Non-Interference, Regional Integration and Nigeria‟s Foreign Policy. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………