Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, PhD, CFR, has urged Nigerian youths aspiring to diplomatic careers to put love for country first. 

Kalu gave the charge while addressing students of International Relations, Madonna University, Okija campus who visited the National Assembly on excursion over the weekend.

The engagement was part of the students’ academic visit to gain practical insight into governance and foreign relations.

The Deputy Speaker said genuine diplomacy is fueled by love for Nigeria, not just the training. 

Kalu said: "I understand most of you are from the Department of International Relations. You are going to be Ambassadors tomorrow. You are going to champion the image of the country out there. But you must understand your country first before you represent your country outside.

So, your representation starts from patriotism. The spirit of patriotism, your love for Nigeria is what is going to drive you to stand and represent Nigeria tomorrow.

So, if you want to a representative of Nigeria outside the shores of Nigeria, the best way to start is by loving your country".

The Deputy Speaker however acknowledged the nation’s challenges but insisting there is no substitute for home.

Kalu cited Father Emmanuel Mathew Edeh, the founder of Madonna University, as an example of nation-building rooted in love for country. 

Congratulating the students on their visit to the National Assembly, Kalu also prayed that their dreams would become a reality.

"I know we have so many challenges but I tell you I have been around the world and I can assure you there is no place like home. 

"So, when we finally send out in the coming years to become ambassadors, you are going to live there. But you will go and come back and the only thing that will bring you back is the love you have for our great nation. If Rev. Father Edeh didn't love our country, he will not build that citadel of learning that is producing champions and captains. It is because he first loved Nigeria. 

"Do you love Nigeria? That is where it starts. You can't represent what you don't love. What you love is what you represent because if you represent what you love, you do it passionately without anybody telling you what to do. I congratulate you on coming to the People's House. I pray that your dreams will become a reality", Kalu prayed. 

Earlier, the Deputy Speaker through his Chief of Staff, Sam Hart delivered a lecture titled "The Legislature and Nigeria's External Relations in the Fourth Republic" where he emphasized that the National Assembly plays a supportive but critical role in helping the Executive Arm of government to deliver Nigeria’s foreign policy goals. 

“While the President remains the chief architect of foreign policy, the Constitution assigns Parliament specific duties to assist in making those policies work at home and abroad. Foreign policy is not made only in presidential palaces and ministries; it is increasingly shaped in parliaments where the voices of the people meet the interests of the nation. 

"One of the most significant developments in international relations over the past three decades has been the rise of Parliamentary Diplomacy. 

"Parliamentary diplomacy refers to the engagement of legislators with foreign governments, international organisations, and global parliamentary bodies to advance national interests.

Today, many diplomatic breakthroughs occur not only through executive negotiatiinteractions through legislative interactions.

"The National Assembly has emerged as a vital pillar of Nigeria's engagement with the world. Through legislation, oversight, treaty domestication, parliamentary diplomacy, economic reforms, and regional cooperation, Parliament continues to shape Nigeria's place in the international system.

"As students of International Relations, you stand at the threshold of a profession that will define the future of nations. The world you are preparing to enter is increasingly interconnected, complex, and competitive. Nigeria needs young leaders who can think globally, act strategically, and serve patriotically", Kalu said.