Diplomatic jobs in Nigeria: careerists v. political appointees

Abstract

The question of who should get more attention in diplomatic appointments – careerists or non-careerists – is an important one. While a careerist is usually a Foreign Service officer, a non-careerist is an individual appointed outside the professional diplomatic corps usually on the basis of political patronage (although sometimes talent and exceptional performance in public offices could play a role). Non-careerists are individuals from other professional backgrounds with no connection to the foreign ministry. The tradition is that the chief political executive could appoint anyone – careerist and non-careerist alike – to represent a state’s interests abroad (including at the levels of international organisations and other specialised missions). Withal, some counties have succeeded in building a Foreign Service that is populated and dominated by the members of the professional diplomatic corps. A situation in which the figures tilt more in favour of the political appointees may not bode well for a country’s foreign policy. As a result of the competence and diplomatic savviness of careerists in the pursuit of foreign policy objectives, scholars and practitioners usually favour the appointment of more career diplomats. A number of issues (mostly negative) are associated with non-career diplomatic appointment. First, there is always the perception that non-professionals – unlike careerists or professionals – do not have the required academic background and experience. However, this stereotyping may not always be tenable. The political nature of their appointment notwithstanding, not all of them have mediocre testimonials. Also, some may have acquired valuable experiences over time that could be useful and relevant in diplomatic roles. Second, the party patronage factor in non-career diplomatic appointment will, as likely as not, make them vulnerable to attack. Third, a preference for the appointment of more non-careerists may affect the career prospects of trained or professional diplomats. At the inception of the Nigerian Foreign Service, diplomats were appointed predominantly from the professional diplomatic corps. During this period, political appointees or non-career diplomats represented a tiny fraction. In fact, under the government of Presidents Murtala and Obasanjo, there was almost no representation for nonprofessionals in the Foreign Service. However, this orientation began to change under the government of Shehu Shagari. His civilian presidency lifted the number of nonprofessionals to over 30. This was done to compensate politicians who lost out in the electioneering process and could not secure ministerial or board appointments. This new development affected the morale and prospects of senior career officers as those who