From last week continues the narrative how Nigeria played the big brother to other African countries, especially to South Africa

DR. Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki (81), who later became the President of South Africa from 16 June 1999 to 24 September 2008, used one of those offices at Iganmu. He was then the head of the African National Congress, ANC, in Nigeria. At that time Lagos was like the capital of freedom fighters in Africa. It is no exaggeration that we carried Africa’s burden. 

In fact, a commercial street in Freetown, Sierra Leone, is today named after the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha(20 September 1943 – 8 June 1998)

Listing the assistance that Nigeria has given to some African countries from independence to date, is like counting the planes that land daily at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia, USA-too numerous. 

My late cousin, Dr. Ayo Akinbobola(11th December 1942-19th April, 2008) JIMEKENLA from Idanre in Ondo State, attempted it in his book titled, REGIONALISM AND REGIONAL INFLUENTIALS-The Post Cold-War Role of Nigeria in African Affairs. Dr. Akinbobola was a Ford Foundation Fellow at Howard University, Washington D.C., U.S.A.; a research fellow at the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs, Lagos; a visiting scholar to the University of Oxford, 1979 and to the University of Michigan.

In 1972, Nigeria and Benin Republic embarked on a N7m cement project. The Nigerian Government provided a N2 million 35 years interest free loan with 30% equity. Both countries also have a joint sugar project. The Nigerian government has 45% equity shares in the project while Benin Republic holds 49% with expatriate companies’ enjoying 5% of the shares. Both projects are based in the Benin Republic.

The Nigeria government also invested in uranium mining in Niger and petrochemical concerns in Senegal. 

In September 1972, Nigeria signed an agreement with Guinea to invest $350,000 (5% of the shares) in the Mifergui Nimba and Simandou Company of Guinea, which is charged with the exploitation and sales of the country’s iron ore resources. Under the agreement, Nigeria was guaranteed one million tons of quality ore yearly for its steel production at Ajaokuta.

Nigeria provided electricity to Niger from Kainji Dam. She also granted Dahomey (Benin Republic) $2 million to pay for imports from country. Nigeria entered into agreement with other African states to contruct a 6,530 kilometre trans-Africa highway running from and Kenyan port of Mombassa to the Nigerian port city of Lagos and passing through Uganda, Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo), Central African Republic and Cameroon. 

In 1972, Nigeria granted an interest free N1 million loan to Dahomey to rehabilitate the Idiroko- Porto Novo road. By the time the road was opened in 1973, the Federal Government had spent a total of N2.7 million on it. The Federal Government also undertook the construction of the 92-kilometre Sokoto-Illela and Birnin Konni (both in Niger Republic) roads at the cost of N2.2 million. 

On February 24, 1975, at the ministerial meeting of the Economic Commission for Africa in Nairobi, Nigeria announced that it would make crude petroleum available to any African country that required it, at concessionary rates. The leader of the Nigerian government delegation, Mr. Victor  Adeyeye Adegoroye, from Akure in Ondo State who made the announcement spelt out two conditions for this: such countries must have their own refineries; and the crude oil sold to them must not be re-exported to third world countries. 

Nigeria also played an active role in the funding of African Development Bank, ADB. The Renowned economist, Dr. Pius Nwabufo Charles Okigbo (February 6, 1924 — September 13, 2000) from Ojoto in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State, was the head of the Economic Commission for Africa, ECA, team that carried out the feasibility study on it in 1961. On November 4, 1964, the Nigerian Prime Minister, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa  (December 1912 – 15 January 1966) presided over its inaugural board of governors’ meeting in Lagos. Nigeria’s major on-going multilateral assistance involved the bank. It has the highest block of shares in the bank. This comes to 159,751 shares, about 15.6% of the total shares and some 10.5% of the weighted voting power. Nigeria contributes 32.5% annually to the ECOWAS budget (multilateral assistance). 

To be concluded