Independence Amidst Entanglements: Nigeria’s Defense Agreement with Britain, 1959-1962

Abstract

The aftermath of World War II fractured the uneasy wartime alliance between the Soviet Union and the United States. Ideological divisions and a struggle for control in Eastern Europe ignited the Cold War, with its ripple effects reaching Africa during the rise of the decolonization movement. This essay focuses on Nigeria's Cold War relations with Britain, examining the period directly before and after independence. It centers on the controversial Anglo-Nigerian defense treaty, exploring how British demands and evolving Nigerian political dynamics shaped the agreement's trajectory. While Nigerian leaders initially sought a pragmatic partnership with their former colonial power, this paper argues that Britain's insistence on imposing the treaty as a precondition for independence ultimately damaged Nigeria's credibility as an independent leader within Africa and the Global South.