The declaration of Africa as the centrepiece of Nigeria's foreign policy could be traced back to the administration of

The declaration of Africa as the centrepiece of Nigeria's foreign policy can be traced to the administration of Tafawa Balewa, Nigeria's first Prime Minister (1960-1966). From the moment of independence, Balewa's government established a foreign policy built on African solidarity, non-alignment, and the promotion of African unity.

Key actions under Balewa's administration included:

• Playing a leading role in the formation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 1963.
• Supporting anti-colonial and liberation movements across Africa.
• Committing Nigerian troops to the United Nations peacekeeping operation in the Congo (1960-1964).
• Advocating for African interests in international forums.

While later administrations, particularly that of Murtala Mohammed and Olusegun Obasanjo (1975-1979), intensified the Africa-centred orientation and gave it more aggressive expression, the foundational commitment to Africa as the centrepiece of Nigerian foreign policy originated with Tafawa Balewa's government at independence.