Renowned Nigerian political scientist and former Minister of External Affairs, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, has described Donald Trump’s inaugural address as “a pathway for economic warfare.”
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television, Akinyemi expressed disappointment with the speech, labeling it as crude and lacking a global vision.
Akinyemi criticized Trump’s approach to global economic policies, particularly his stance on tariffs.
“When you impose tariffs on goods coming into your country, it’s your people that the businessmen will pass the tariffs on to, and the other countries will also impose tariffs on your goods. That is not a way to agenda mutual prosperity in the world. No, that’s a pathway for economic warfare,” he said
The professor emphasized that the world needed collaboration to promote prosperity, not economic conflict.
“Do you need a warfare at this time when we should all rally around to try and promote prosperity? You don’t do that,” he added.
Concerns for Africa and global diplomacy
In response to questions about what Africa or Nigeria should anticipate under Trump’s leadership, Akinyemi underscored the glaring absence of any focus on Africa in the inaugural address.
“I’m not really sure that if you ask Trump to spell Africa or to spell Nigeria or to locate where we are on the globe, he will be able to do so. We are out of his focus,” he said.
Akinyemi noted that African leaders, including President Tinubu, face significant challenges in finding effective ways to engage with Trump’s administration.
“If you are asking President Tinubu or African presidents to try and fathom a pathway to engage from, I would say they’ve got a heavy duty,” he stated.
- Akinyemi shared his perspective on how Nigeria should approach its relationship with the United States under President Donald Trump. He advised President Bola Tinubu to take a cautious approach, avoiding direct confrontation with Trump, particularly given the latter’s temperament and policies.
“If I were President Tinubu, I would try to steer clear of antagonizing Trump. There is nothing a bully likes more than taking on people who are not strong enough to resist him,” he said.
He compared the situation to an African proverb, stressing that challenging a bully when you’re not strong enough only leads to greater harm. “If he gives me one slap, I will move several steps backward to make sure that the next point from him doesn’t land on me,” he added.
Akinyemi warned of the global implications of Trump’s policies and rhetoric, urging African leaders to prepare for the challenges ahead.
The professor emphasized the need for global cooperation to address pressing issues like climate change and economic growth.
