Diplomatic Protocol and Nigerian National Interests: A Professional Review of ECOWAS Trade Negotiations

This study analyses the professional conduct of Nigerian diplomatic delegations in ECOWAS trade negotiations, focusing on how effectively Nigerian negotiators have advanced national commercial and strategic interests within the regional trade architecture, particularly in negotiations surrounding the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme and the West African Economic and Monetary Union convergence criteria. Nigeria's ambiguous relationship with regional trade integration, exemplified by its initial rejection of the African Continental Free Trade Area, reflects tensions between domestic industrial protection interests and continental integration commitments. Using a professional document analysis and interview design, the study reviews ECOWAS Council of Ministers meeting records, Nigerian trade negotiation position papers, and interviews with 25 trade diplomacy practitioners in Abuja and Lagos. The International Trade Negotiation Theory and the National Interest Framework provide the analytical lenses. Findings reveal that Nigeria's trade negotiation capacity is hampered by poor inter-ministerial coordination between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Trade, and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, leading to inconsistent negotiating positions and missed opportunities for shaping regional rules. The study recommends the establishment of an integrated Nigerian Trade and Investment Diplomacy Office and regular simulation-based diplomatic negotiation training for foreign service officers. Keywords: diplomatic protocol, ECOWAS, trade negotiations, Nigerian diplomacy, national interests.