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Nigeria Relations with the Rest of Africa
The prevailing perception in Nigeria's foreign policy
was
that, as predominant the African leader, it should play a
bigbrother role in relations with African states. Nigeria was
a
founding member of the OAU and often channeled major
policy
initiatives through that organization. Most of its
relations with
other African states took place outside the OAU framework
but
were guided by OAU principles. Nigeria's primary African
commitment was to liberate the continent from the last
vestiges
of colonialism and to eradicate apartheid in South Africa.
Promoting liberation had grown from a weak and
conservative
stance during the 1960s to an increasingly firm push after
the
civil war. This commitment was pursued most actively after
Murtala Muhammad successfully backed the Movimento Popular
de
Libertação de Angola's ascent to power in Angola in 1975
by
providing the swing vote in the OAU decision to recognize
the
MPLA. Nigeria had played a role in the independence of
Zimbabwe
and in the late 1980s was active in assisting Nambibia to
achieve
independence of Namibia. In the latter case, it
contributed about
US$20 million to assist the South West Africa People's
Organization in the 1989 elections and other preparations
for
Namibian independence. The country also contributed
financially
to liberation movements in South Africa and to the front
line
states of Zambia, Tanzania, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe,
which were
constantly harassed by South Africa. Although Nigeria's
armed
forces were among the largest in black Africa in the early
1990s,
sizable military might has rarely been used in foreign
policy
(see Local and Bilateral Issues;
African and Regional Issues
, ch.
5). The army participated in peacekeeping forces, either
alone or
through the OAU and contributed personnel to United
Nations
peacekeeping missions. In line with its ECOWAS
comunitment,
Nigeria was one of the main contributors of troops to the
ECOWAS
Cease-fire Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) sent to Liberia
August 23,
1990 after the peace talks there failed. Additional forces
were
sent in late September 1990 under a Nigerian field
commander,
General Doganyaro. Threats to fight for southern African
liberation were made but not acted on, but Nigeria did
give
military and financial aid to the African National
Congress for
its efforts against the apartheid regime in South Africa
and
provided military equipments to Mozambique to help its
struggle
South African-backed guerrillas.
In addition, Nigeria gave aid and technical assistance
to
several African states, often through the African
Development
Bank of which it was a major benefactor. In 1987 a
Technical Aid
Corps, operating along the lines of the United States
Peace
Corps, was established. Under it, young Nigerian
professionals
served in other African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries
where
their expertise was needed. Nigeria also provided
scholarships
and fellowships, training facilities, grants, equipment,
and
medical supplies, and subsidized oil during the 1970s' oil
crisis
to African countries under certain conditions.
In July 1974, the Gowon government decided to sell
crude oil
at concessionary rates to African countries on condition
that
they had their own refineries and would not re-export to
third
countries. The decision came despite Nigeria's role as an
Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
member
generally in favor of higher prices and after more than
two years
of deliberations. Nigeria acted largely in response to
external
pressures: international actors attempted to divide Third
World
countries into OPEC members and nonoil producers; various
African
countries, especially Liberia, begged for less expensive
oil; and
both the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the
Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries had
established programs to aid poor countries while
encouraging
other oil producers, especially African nations, to follow
suit.
Providing subsidies for African countries was a safe move
for
Nigeria because Africa comprised only a small portion of
the
country's total oil export market, it enhanced Nigeria's
position
and influence in Africa while building African solidarity,
and it
protected security interests by preventing economic
decline.
Moreover, this example of generosity aided Nigeria in its
efforts
to create ECOWAS. In November 1990, Babangida suggested
that
Nigeria might again offer concessionary prices to other
African
countries as the Middle East crises pushed oil prices
upward.
Data as of June 1991
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