By BONIFACE AKARAH

The Pan African Psychologist Union (PAPU) has congratulated Nigeria’s newly confirmed Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, describing his appointment as an opportunity to reshape diplomacy through behavioural science and African-centred psychology.

In a statement issued by its President, Prof. Zamani Andrew, PAPU said Ambassador Enikanolaiye’s confirmation signalled Nigeria’s decision to place “a cerebral, battle-tested career diplomat” at the centre of its foreign policy engagements.

The union said Enikanolaiye’s emergence was “not merely a victory for Nigeria’s diplomatic corps” but “a quiet reassurance that Africa’s most populous nation now places a cerebral, battle tested career diplomat at the helm of its international engagements.”

PAPU said it had closely followed the diplomat’s career trajectory, highlighting his academic background as a First-Class Political Science graduate of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, with further studies at Oxford and the University of Lagos, alongside his rise through Nigeria’s foreign service to the position of Permanent Secretary.

The group also referenced his appearance before the Senate on May 6, 2026, where he reportedly outlined a foreign policy framework anchored on “firmness, reciprocity and measurable outcomes.”

“His firm yet measured articulation of a foreign policy anchored on ‘firmness, reciprocity and measurable outcomes’ resonated deeply with our union’s core conviction,” PAPU said.

According to the organisation, many of Nigeria’s foreign policy challenges — including xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa, regional tensions following the withdrawal of some Sahel states from ECOWAS, and insecurity affecting Nigerians in the diaspora — are “fundamentally behavioural crises.”

“These challenges are not merely diplomatic or economic,” the statement said. “They are fundamentally behavioural crises. They demand insights from African-centred psychology, conflict resolution frameworks, and trauma-informed diplomacy.”

PAPU said Enikanolaiye’s diplomatic experience in countries including India, the United Kingdom and Canada, as well as his involvement in regional peace and diplomatic processes in Liberia, Sierra Leone and the African Union, demonstrated his understanding of conflict management and trust-building.

The organisation expressed readiness to support the minister’s office with psychological profiling and early warning systems for diaspora communities facing threats, behavioural interventions against xenophobia, and specialised training for foreign service officers on trauma-informed consular services.

It also proposed pan-African research on what it described as “the social identity drivers of Afro-phobia.”

“We believe that his tenure as Minister of State offers a historic opportunity to institutionalise behavioural diplomacy using psychological science to predict, prevent, and mitigate international friction,” PAPU stated.

The union said it planned to seek a formal courtesy visit with the minister in the coming weeks to present a memorandum titled “The Psychology of African Solidarity: A Strategic Framework for Nigeria’s Foreign Policy.”

“This is not mere congratulation; it is a commitment to walk with a proven leader as he rewrites Nigeria’s diplomatic playbook,” Prof. Andrew said.

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