LIST OF REASONS

Nigeria’s decision to adopt the non-aligned movement in 1964 remains a defining moment in its history, reflecting a deliberate choice to forge an independent path in international relations during an era marked by ideological confrontation and global tension. This strategic shift was rooted in a desire to preserve the nation’s sovereignty and to engage with the world on its own terms, free from the divisive influence of the Cold War’s binary alliances. At a time when the global order was largely dominated by the competing interests of the United States and the Soviet Union, Nigeria’s embrace of non-alignment offered a middle way—a path that promised to safeguard its national interests while promoting peace and justice on a global scale. The origins of the non-aligned movement can be traced back to the visionary ideas of leaders such as India’s Jawaharlal Nehru, who, in a 1946 radio broadcast, first articulated the principle of non-alignment. Nehru’s assertion that nations should strive...