The African Union’s Agenda 2063 and Nigeria’s Contribution to Continental Development Diplomacy

This study examines Nigeria's diplomatic contribution to the implementation of the African Union's Agenda 2063 continental development framework, assessing the coherence between Nigeria's domestic policies and the seven aspirational goals of Agenda 2063 and examining how Nigeria has advocated for specific Agenda 2063 flagship projects within AU forums. Agenda 2063 represents the AU's long-term continental development vision, encompassing aspirations from a prosperous Africa to an integrated continent with good governance and strong cultural identity. Drawing on multilateral development governance theory and continental integration frameworks, this research analyses Nigeria's engagement with Agenda 2063 implementation mechanisms from 2019 to 2024, examining its financial contributions to flagship projects, its representation in Agenda 2063 oversight structures, and its advocacy for development infrastructure priorities. The study employs a qualitative methodology, drawing on AU Commission progress reports, Nigeria's national development plan documents, Ministry of Foreign Affairs records, and semi-structured interviews with AU desk officers. Findings are expected to show that Nigeria's contribution to Agenda 2063 is rhetorically strong but operationally inconsistent, with domestic economic difficulties periodically constraining the financial commitments necessary to underpin credible continental development leadership. Recommendations address improving the coherence between Nigeria's national development agenda and its Agenda 2063 contributions. Keywords: Agenda 2063, African Union, Nigeria, development diplomacy, continental integration.