HISTORICAL BASIS OF NIGERIA'S FOREIGN POLICY TOWARDS AFRICA IN THE FIRST REPUBLIC

What is it about?

The period between the 1950s and 1960s marked a turning point for the African continent. This was a time when many African states gained independence from their colonial rulers. Independence meant that many of these new states had to formulate their own approach to foreign policy. Using constructivist international relations theory, we argue that the shared experience of colonial rule significantly influenced the foreign policy.....approach of many African states, including Nigeria. As a result, Pan-Africanism was prominent at the time, and countries like Nigeria developed a system of international relations based on two key principles: a focus on Africa, described as Afrocentrism, and non-alignment. Our article concludes with a critical analysis of Afrocentrism and whether it was successful for Nigeria. This article is an important addition to the debate about the foreign policies of newly independent African states in the 1950s and 1960s, after they gained independence.

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Photo by Abenezer Shewaga on Unsplash

Photo by Abenezer Shewaga on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Nigeria developed a system of international relations based on two key principles: a focus on Africa, described as Afrocentrism, and non-alignment

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