A foreign policy expert and international diplomat, Ambassador Olutoyin Oloniteru, has urged Nigeria to take decisive action against neighbouring countries allegedly providing safe havens for terrorists operating within its borders.
A statement by the spokesman of Elizade University, Ilara Mokin, Mr Williams Olufunmi, said that the foreign policy expert spoke at the institution:s 2026 Diplomatic Exposure.
According to Olufunmi, Ambassador Oloniteru declared that Nigeria has “for too long slept on its sovereign right” to confront the growing security threats emanating from terrorist groups reportedly operating from territories in Niger and Burkina Faso.
Oloniteru, who serves as Chairman of the Labour Migration Advisory Committee for Employers (LMACE), and a member of the Expert Group of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs in Vienna, argued that international law provides legal grounds for a nation to take military action in defence of its citizens.
He delivered a lecture titled, “Contemporary International Politics: Peace by Force and the Challenges of International Law.”
.According to the statement, “the diplomat said a country is justified in entering another state’s territory under two circumstances: self-defence or authorisation by the United Nations Security Council.”
Olufunmi quoted the diplomat saying, “Nigeria would not be violating international law if it takes necessary measures to defend its territorial integrity and protect its citizens from the persistent threats posed by terrorist groups responsible for widespread kidnapping and violence.”
He reportedly “lamented that the activities of such groups have continued unabated, inflicting severe consequences on lives, livelihoods and national security.”
Ambassador Oloniteru also called for urgent reforms of the United Nations Security Council, stressing that the evolving dynamics of global politics demand a more responsive and representative international governance structure.
Earlier in his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of Elizade University, Prof Philip Gbenro Oguntunde, expressed delight that students of International Relations were gaining valuable insights from seasoned diplomats and global policy experts through the university’s Diplomatic Exposure initiative.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Committee of Deans and Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Social and Management Sciences, Prof Joseph Fabayo, commended the composure and intellectual maturity displayed by the students, describing them as promising future leaders in global diplomacy.
The Acting Head of the Department of International Relations, Dr Tunde Fajimbola, explained that the theme of the 2026 Diplomatic Exposure was deliberately selected to stimulate critical thinking on emerging global crises and contribute to solutions capable of fostering sustainable peace in the international system.
The Diplomatic Exposure programme remains a flagship academic engagement of the university, designed to deepen intellectual discourse, strengthen experiential learning and expose students to practical global perspectives in international relations—further reinforcing the institution’s commitment to producing globally competitive graduates.
