Nigeria’s Foreign Policy Shifts Away From African Solidarity

An opinion piece reflects on the decline of Nigeria’s foreign policy focus on Africa, contrasting the current climate of xenophobia with the historic “golden age” under Generals Murtala Muhammed and Olusegun Obasanjo. The author recalls Murtala Muhammed’s 1976 “Africa has come of age” speech at the Organization of African Unity in Addis Ababa, which opposed U.S. President Gerald Ford’s stance against the Soviet‑backed MPLA in Angola and pledged support for liberation movements across southern Africa, including Mozambique, Namibia, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and South Africa.

The article questions whether Nigeria still regards Africa as the centrepiece of its foreign policy, noting a perceived abandonment of that legacy and a rise in xenophobic attitudes. It cites a passage from the historic speech: “When I contemplate the evils of apartheid, my heart bleeds…We cannot pretend that we are unaware of the machinations and conspiracies against our continent.” The piece urges a reassessment of Nigeria’s role on the continent.