Nigeria-Pakistan Relations

Against the backdrop of a shifting global order and strategic realignments, this book examines the past 63 years of Nigeria-Pakistan relations, exploring the factors that have shaped their domestic politics and foreign policy, as well as taking a broader look towards trilateral cooperation between China, Nigeria, and Pakistan.

Using a comparative political lens, this book addresses a significant gap in how Africa, particularly Nigeria, is perceived, studied, and taught in Pakistan. Chapters highlight the importance of people-to-people connections in the shaping of Nigeria-Pakistan relations over time, contributing to existing scholarship on South-South migration. Further, this book compares diverse political systems, civil-military relations, and entrenched corruption, along with the implications of these dynamics for human development and emerging economic growth. Beyond foreign relations, this book addresses the intricate and dynamic domestic politics of both countries through the theoretical framework of elitism, examining how certain actors have consistently shaped and re-shaped the democratic landscape in these nations.

Ultimately, addressing an underexplored area of international relations, this book will be of interest to scholars, postgraduate students, and researchers in the fields of international and comparative politics, regional and area studies, global southern political sociology, and migration studies.

Najimdeen Ayoola Bakare is an Associate Professor in the Department of International and Strategic Studies, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. His research interests are broad, with particular focus on EU politics, global politics, African politics, European Muslim issues, regionalism, development studies, theories of international relations, minority issues, and both Islamic and Western philosophies. With two decades of teaching experience, he has authored numerous research articles, book chapters, and monographs. His recent publications include China's Globalisation and the New World Order (2025); Arab-Israel Normalisation – A Global Perspective (2023); and “Creating Policy Change in Infrastructural Development Discourse: The BRI in Tanzania during and after the John Magufuli Presidency,” in China's Belt and Road Initiative in Africa: Aid Policies and Economic Development, edited by R. Mireille Manga Edimo and Julien Rajaoson (pp. 20–56, 2025). “Dis/misinformation, Visibility Politics, Populism, and Digital Information: An analysis of Pre- and Post-2023 Nigerian General Election.” in Authoritarian Actors and Strategic Digital Information Operations: The New Age of Manipulation, edited by Ihsan Yilmaz and Shahram Akbarzadeh. New York: Routledge, Chapman & Hall, Incorporated, 2025. “Digital Platforms,Youth Activism, and Illiberal and Authoritarian Governance: The Case of Nigerian EndSARS Movement” in Digital Technologies and Activism in Authoritarian Contexts and Beyond, edited by Zahid Shahab Ahmed, Shahram Akbarzadeh and Ihsan Yilmaz. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2025. His scholarship has made significant contributions to international and local academic debates, with publications appearing in leading journals and edited volumes.