During the cold war, Nigeria's foreign policy was characterized by

1. Analyze the question The question asks about the character of Nigeria's foreign policy during the Cold War (roughly 1945 to 1991). The Cold War was the ideological rivalry between the Western capitalist bloc, led by the USA, and the Eastern communist bloc, led by the USSR.

2. Explain the concept Non-alignment means a country does not formally join either power bloc. It makes decisions on each issue according to its own national interest. Nigeria's foreign policy since independence in 1960 rested on this idea, along with:

• Africa as the centrepiece of foreign policy
• Support for decolonisation and opposition to apartheid
• Good neighbourliness and respect for the sovereignty of states
• Non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries

3. Step-by-step solution

• Option A (alignment with the US): Incorrect. Nigeria did not join the Western military or political bloc. Prime Minister Balewa was seen as pro-West, and Nigeria had a defence pact with Britain, which it cancelled in 1962 after protests. So it was not formally aligned.
• Option B (neutrality and non-alignment): Correct. Nigeria stayed out of both blocs. It later joined the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and judged issues on their merits. For example, in 1975 it recognised the MPLA government in Angola, which was backed by the Soviet Union, against the West's preference.
• Option C (pursuit of colonial interest): Incorrect. Nigeria was itself a former colony and strongly opposed colonialism.
• Option D (alignment with the Soviet Union): Incorrect. Nigeria never joined the Eastern bloc, even though it bought some arms from the USSR during the civil war.

4. Answer **B. Neutrality and non-alignment.

5. Exam tip Remember: "Nigeria's friends are everyone, its allies are no one." For Cold War questions, match "non-alignment" with "Nigeria" and "Africa as the centrepiece." If an option mentions joining the US or USSR bloc, it is usually a distractor.