Published 2025-05-13
Abstract
Nigeria’s relations with the Commonwealth of Nations exhibit a
peculiar record of sweet & sour relations. The Commonwealth of
Nations is an association of independent former British colonies that
meet periodically to discuss common issues that affect them. Even as an
infant member, Nigeria in collaboration with India and Tanganyika, in
1961 succeeded in persuading other member countries in expelling
apartheid South Africa from the Commonwealth. Humiliated leaders of
the racist regime in return supported Biafra in the 1967-1970 civil war
in Nigeria. Five years later, Britain’s reluctance to sell arms to Nigeria
may have played a role in the military leadership enacting harsh
measures against Britain’s economic interests; because of her
resistance to majority rule in Zimbabwe. In spite of the fact that there
are trickles of economic benefits coming Nigeria’s way from the
Commonwealth, it has not translated into making her the
manufacturing hub of Africa which is a vogue for serious contenders to
the elite G20. This underperformance serves as the motivation for the
study. The study is a qualitative one where data was generated through
secondary sources such as journals, periodicals, textbooks, internet
materials, newspapers and magazines. Concepts/theories of economic
relations and interdependence were defined and clarified as framework
for the study. At the end, recommendations were advanced for a more
beneficial engagement with the Commonwealth; principal among
which is the need for Nigeria to take advantage of manufacturing
advancement of developed members to grow her
industrial/manufacturing sector/sub-sector.