Nigeria applies soft diplomacy in Africa through

Answer Details

Soft diplomacy (or soft power) refers to the ability of a country to influence others through attraction, persuasion, and developmental assistance rather than through military force or economic coercion. Nigeria's primary vehicle for soft diplomacy in Africa is the Technical Aid Corps (TAC) programme.

Established in 1987 under the Ibrahim Babangida administration, the TAC programme deploys young Nigerian professionals - doctors, teachers, engineers, nurses, and other skilled workers - to African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) countries. These volunteers provide technical expertise and capacity-building support to host nations, fostering goodwill and strengthening Nigeria's diplomatic relationships across the continent.

The other options do not fit the concept of soft diplomacy. Encouraging capitalism is an economic ideology, not a diplomatic strategy specific to Nigeria. Promotion of bilateral relations is a broader diplomatic activity but not a specific soft-diplomacy tool. Disengagement in UN Peacekeeping Operations would actually reduce Nigeria's international influence rather than build it - in fact, Nigeria has been one of the largest contributors to UN peacekeeping missions, which is itself a form of soft power.

The TAC programme remains one of the most recognised examples of Nigeria's use of soft power to project influence and build partnerships across the African continent and beyond.