Diplomacy among Nations: The Case Study of Malaysia and Nigeria

Abstract

Nigeria and Malaysia have a shared historical background. Both countries were free of British authority. They have a federal style of government with a bicameral legislature, and the regions are home to people of many racial and ethnic backgrounds. Both economies had a lot of natural resources. Malaysia and Nigeria were the main exporters of primary products when they gained independence in 1957 and 1960, respectively, due to their tropical climates. Nigeria has the capacity to emerge as the largest economy in Sub-Saharan Africa as well as even the world and play a significant role in the world economy, according to experts (Okezie C. A, 2017) and (Amir Baharuddin, 2017). These potentials have remained untapped, and Nigeria faces the risk of failing to reach the globally agreed millennium development goals (MDGs) by 2015, or the vision 2020, if current trends continue. This study aims to examine the untapped opportunities in the diplomatic relationship between these nations and also to determine what went wrong and take lessons from Malaysia achievement and how it was implemented. Nigeria and Malaysia share a very identical historical background: both had sultans as spiritual and political leaders in their major areas, were colonized by the British, and gained independence in 1960 and 1957, respectively. Malaysia has progressed in terms of human development since 1980 and strives to be among the industrialized nations. Nigeria has seen a rise in poverty from 1980 to the present, and it is likely to be classified as an underdeveloped country.