The most effective instrument adopted by Nigeria against the East-West Cold War in the 1960s was

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks which instrument Nigeria used to deal with the East-West Cold War in the 1960s. The Cold War was the ideological rivalry between the Western bloc (led by the USA, capitalist) and the Eastern bloc (led by the USSR, communist).

Step 2: Explain the concept After independence in 1960, Nigeria had to decide how to relate to the two superpowers. Joining either bloc would have dragged the country into conflicts that had nothing to do with its own interests. The solution was non-alignment: refusing to take sides militarily or ideologically, and judging each international issue on its merits and according to Nigeria's national interest.

Step 3: Evaluate the options

• A. Good neighbourliness: This is about friendly relations with neighbouring countries such as Benin, Niger, Chad and Cameroon. It is not a response to superpower rivalry.
• B. Africa as the centrepiece: This is the guiding principle of Nigeria's foreign policy, which puts African interests first. It is a focus area, not a tool for handling the Cold War.
• C. Anti-apartheid stance: This was Nigeria's position against racial discrimination in South Africa. It has nothing to do with East-West rivalry.
• D. Non-alignment policy: This is the correct match. It was the direct strategy for staying neutral between the Eastern and Western blocs.

Step 4: Answer

Tip: Link keywords to concepts. "Cold War" or "East-West" points to non-alignment or neutrality. "Apartheid" points to South Africa. "Africa as centrepiece" points to the guiding principle of foreign policy. Note that Nigeria's non-alignment in the 1960s was in practice often pro-West, a point that sometimes appears in essay questions.