Since independence, with Jaja Wachuku as the first Minister for Foreign Affairs and Commonwealth Relations , later called External Affairs, Nigerian foreign policy has been characterised by a focus on Africa as a regional power and by attachment to several fundamental principles: African unity and independence; capability to exercise hegemonic influence in the region: peaceful settlement of disputes; non-alignment and non-intentional interference in the internal affairs of other nations; and regional economic cooperation and development.
Upon gaining independence in , Nigeria quickly committed itself to improving the lives of the people of the country and harnessing the resources that remain vital to the economy of the country and her neighbours. By observing at what benefits and appropriate for the country, Nigeria became one of the founding members of the Organisation for African Unity OAU , which later became the African Union.
Nigeria backed the African National Congress ANC by taking a committed tough line with regard to the South African government and their military actions in southern Africa.
Similarly, when civil war broke out in Angola after the country gained independence from Portugal in , Nigeria mobilised its diplomatic influence in Africa in support of the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola MPLA. Nigeria extended diplomatic support to another cause, Sam Nujoma 's Southwest Africa People's Organization in Namibia , to stall the apartheid South African-installed government there.
Nigeria also sent military equipment to Mozambique to help the newly independent country suppress the South African-backed Mozambican National Resistance guerrillas. Nigeria also provided some military training at the Kaduna first mechanised army division and other material support to Joshua Nkomo and Robert Mugabe 's guerrilla forces during the Zimbabwe War in against the white minority rule of Prime Minister Ian Douglas Smith , which was backed by the apartheid -government of South Africa.
