An evaluation of Nigeria-Chad trade and security relations, 1988-2009

The contemporary world is such that nations cannot do without one another. This is because some nations are connected by historical, cultural, social, economic, scientific and other forms of strategic interests. Nigeria and Chad over the years have a history of inter-state relations that pre-dates the coming of colonial masters. However, at the end of colonial rule, both states engaged in multi-dimensional forms of bilateral relations. This study, which adopts mixed method of research focuses on Nigeria-Chad economic relations. It reveals the forms of trade agreement between both states. The study highlights formal and informal nature of the trade amongst the two states and found that their history of diplomatic relations has promoted the national interest as well as the management of strategic over-lapping trade demands in both countries. This study used regression analysis and applied unit root, co-integration, chow test, stability test as well as Phillips-Perron (PP) and Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) to find-out that there is strong positive significant relationship between Nigeria-Chad trade and economic diplomacy within the period of 1970-2018 as well as reasonable stability in Nigerian trade and security relations with Chad in the presence of Boko Haram menace. The study recommends increased bilateral trade, border security as well as intelligence sharing on the dynamics of security threats to the relations of both states.