Former Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bolaji Akinyemi, has advised President Bola Tinubu to tread carefully in his dealings with the newly sworn-in 47th President of the United States, Donald Trump.
Akinyemi, who is a seasoned expert in international relations, shared his thoughts during an interview on Channels TV, urging President Tinubu to avoid confrontation with the controversial leader.
“If I were President Tinubu, I would try to steer clear of antagonising him because there is nothing a bully likes better than taking on people who are not strong enough to resist him,” Akinyemi stated.
“If you are not strong enough to take on a bully and you challenge them, you are only going to suffer more for it. That’s the advice I would give President Tinubu—try and avoid having a confrontation with him, even if that means that he does things that annoy or step on Nigeria’s interests. There are ways to address his actions without direct confrontation,” Akinyemi added.
The former Director General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) did not hold back in his criticism of Trump’s inaugural speech, which he described as uninspiring and “shocking” to the world.
“Instead of rallying the world towards peace, Trump’s address focused on threatening the global community with a series of aggressive policies,” Akinyemi remarked.
He noted specific proposals from the speech, such as reclaiming the Panama Canal, renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, and imposing tariff wars. These, Akinyemi said, are likely to lead to repercussions for the global community.
As for Nigeria’s position, Akinyemi expressed concern that the country is no longer a focal point for the new American administration.
“Nigeria should not expect anything extraordinary from the Trump presidency,” he said.