Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, has called on Nigeria to deliberately build its economic and military strength to a level where no African country would be able to defeat it in the event of any confrontation.

Akinyemi made the call on Monday while speaking on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme.

He spoke against the backdrop of recent global events, stressing that nations must understand and respect the role of power in international relations.

According to him, Nigeria must define clearly the level of power it seeks to attain and pursue it with consistency and strategic focus.

“You have to respect power,” Akinyemi said. “When Nigeria went into Benin Republic a few weeks ago, the power disparity was such that there was no way Benin could have resisted Nigeria. However, there are countries in Africa that Nigeria will not take on.”

He explained that his position was not that Nigeria should aspire to dominate or defeat other African countries, but rather to attain a level of strength that guarantees its security and deterrence.

“Nigeria, in terms of economic and military power, should advance itself to a position where no country in Africa will be able to defeat Nigeria if there is a contestation between the two countries,” he said.

Akinyemi emphasised that such a posture would not be aggressive but preventive, adding that power remains a critical factor in safeguarding national interest and sovereignty in global affairs.