A former diplomat and foreign policy consultant based in the United Arab Emirates, Farouq Bin Momoud, has delivered a scathing assessment of Nigeria’s former Foreign Affairs Minister, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, describing him as “a serial underachiever” whose tenure weakened Nigeria’s regional influence and exposed the country to diplomatic ridicule.
In a strongly worded opinion article titled “Yusuf Maitama Tuggar: Silhouette of a Serial Underachiever,” Momoud argued that Tuggar failed to live up to the towering legacy of his late relative, Yusuf Maitama Sule, the legendary Nigerian statesman widely respected across Africa for his intellect and diplomatic finesse.
According to him, while Maitama Sule became a symbol of national wisdom and diplomatic excellence, Tuggar’s years in office were marked by “noise, turbulence and declining influence.”
“For a man burdened with one of Northern Nigeria’s most iconic political names, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar leaves office with remarkably little to show beyond polished speeches, diplomatic photo opportunities and a foreign policy record defined more by confusion than consequence,” the article stated.
The diplomat particularly faulted Tuggar’s handling of the ECOWAS crisis following the July 2023 coup in Niger Republic, arguing that Nigeria’s confrontational posture under President Bola Tinubu and Tuggar ultimately backfired.
He noted that the sanctions, ultimatums and threats of military intervention issued by ECOWAS failed to restore democratic rule in Niger, while simultaneously accelerating divisions within West Africa.
“Instead of restoring civilian rule in Niger, Nigeria helped trigger one of the biggest fractures in West African regional politics in decades,” Momoud wrote.
He argued that Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger hardened their anti-ECOWAS alliance and eventually withdrew from the regional bloc, creating what he described as a humiliating geopolitical setback for Nigeria.
“For decades, Nigeria positioned itself as the stabilizing anchor of West Africa. Under Tuggar, that prestige visibly eroded,” he said.
The article further criticized what it described as Nigeria’s “performance diplomacy” during Tuggar’s tenure, accusing the former minister of prioritizing international appearances and conferences over measurable diplomatic outcomes.
“There was no shortage of speeches, summits or carefully staged diplomatic appearances. But where were the defining outcomes? Where were the landmark agreements capable of altering Nigeria’s economic fortunes or restoring regional authority?” the article queried.
Momoud also referenced the diplomatic vacuum created after Nigeria recalled ambassadors worldwide in 2023 without immediately replacing them, saying the development weakened Nigeria’s global engagement and exposed dysfunction within the foreign ministry.
“Serious countries do not conduct diplomacy on autopilot. Yet under Tuggar, Nigeria often appeared administratively absent from critical global conversations,” he wrote.
The former diplomat further argued that Nigeria’s worsening domestic conditions, including insecurity, inflation and economic hardship, weakened Abuja’s credibility across Africa and undermined its ability to project leadership on the continent.
“Foreign policy cannot be divorced from domestic strength. Under Tuggar, Nigeria attempted continental leadership while visibly weakened at home,” he stated.
Despite acknowledging Tuggar’s elite education and diplomatic exposure, Momoud maintained that the former minister left office without any defining foreign policy achievement.
“No historic mediation. No transformative doctrine. No regional breakthrough. No enduring diplomatic accomplishment,” he wrote.
The article concluded with a symbolic comparison between Tuggar and the late Maitama Sule.
“Maitama Sule left behind wisdom, stature and national memory. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar leaves behind the lingering image of a man who spent years orbiting power yet never quite rising above political mediocrity,” the article concluded.
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