Personality and Nigeria’s Foreign Policy: A Comparative Analysis of Obasanjo’s Foreign Policy as Military Head of State and Civilian President
Ngara, Christopher Ochanja; Esebonu, Edward Ndem; Ayabam, Alexius Terwase

Abstract
This paper explores personality and Nigeria’s foreign policy: a comparism of Obasanjo’s foreign policy as military Head of State and civilian President. Utilizing Hermann’s Leadership Trait Analysis (LTA) model, the paper tested the influence of Obasanjo’s personality on Nigeria’s foreign policy during his two different regimes: military (1977-1979) and democracy (1999-2007). The findings shows that Obasanjo’s personality has approximate similarity with Hermann’s personality typology of high level of nationalism, strong belief in one’s ability to control events, strong need for power and low levels of conceptual complexity which had decisive influence on Nigeria’s foreign policy during the two different era. The paper concludes that for Nigeria to operate an objective foreign policy, the process must be institutionalized through the revision of relevant laws, good governance, improving and strengthening legislative oversights and the observance of best practices.

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