A revisionist examination of the important, yet often misrepresented, interplay between ideology and pragmatism in the interaction between the Third World and superpowers, this book explores the dynamics between Nigeria and the USSR from the time of Nigerian independence in 1960 up to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The author effectively argues that while the generic West may have underdeveloped' Africa, the continent's response to the challenges and opportunities presented by the Northern Hemisphere was progressively active and enterprising.'