ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on Nigeria’s soft power capacity. It outlines the sources of the state’s soft power that stems from its philosophy of Omolúwàbí; its cultural exports in the form of Nollywood, Afrobeats, its diaspora, and literature; and its policies of democracy promotion, peacemaking, and aid which finds practical expression in the foreign policy instrument of the Technical Aid Corps (TAC) scheme. The chapter argues that the gains reaped by Nigeria from its soft power posture include economic ones, the internationalisation of its culture provided by Nollywood and Afrobeats, its successful promotion of democracy across the continent, its recognition as a major peacemaker in Africa, and subsequent representation of the continent in international bodies such as being a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, and its leadership role in regional and sub-regional organisations including the AU and ECOWAS. Despite these gains, Nigeria has not significantly exercised its soft power to achieve its foreign policy objectives due to many domestic and external constraints including political corruption, insecurity, and an image problem.
