Non-alignment and Nigeria's foreign policy, 1960-1979: A historical perspective.
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Date
1985
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Obafemi Awolowo University
Abstract
This study is aimed at finding out the extent to which policy pronouncements by Nigerian
foreign policy decision-makers on non-alignment coincided with or diverged from concrete
policy actions in the period, 1960-1979. At independence, in 1960, Nigeria adopted the policy of
not aligning with any power bloc 'as a matter of routine' - a deliberately vague, and perhaps
confusing, hint at non-alignment.
However, as a result of her colonial heritage and the inability, even unwillingness, of the ruling
elite to struggle for national economic self-reliance, Nigeria was unable to maintain a clearly
non-aligned posture in her external relations. The balance of her foreign relations weighed more
in favour of the western-bloc. The level of commitment to the 'West' was such that Nigeria's antiimperialist
and anti-apartheid drives were severely handicapped.
Therefore, throughout the period studied (though to a lesser extent since the end of the Nigerian
Civil War) there was always a wide gap between policy pronouncements and concrete actions.
Nigeria's experience throughout this period shows that an economically dependent nation cannot
exert much influence (especially on a continuous and consistent basis) in international affairs.
Description
91p
Keywords
Anti-imperialist, Anti-apartheid drives, Independence, Colonial-heritage
Citation
Ajayi, A.I (1985). Non-alignment and Nigeria's foreign policy,1960-1979: A historical perspective.