By Bola A. Akinterinwa
The Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) was first established in 1961 as an independent and non-profit making research institution. The NIIA, as an idea, was conceived by Dr. Kenneth Onwuka Dike, who wanted an institute like the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House) in London and like the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. The conception predated Nigeria’s independence on October 1, 1960. As we have noted elsewhere, the cardinal objective of all the founding fathers was self-education and making Nigeria relevant in world affairs, particularly in Africa (vide ”The Problems of the NIIA, ThisDay, 24 May, 1999 and Bola A. Akinterinwa, Nigeria in the World: Issues and Problems for the Sleeping Giant (Lagos: Pumark, 2001, pp. 815-818).