Olusegun Obasanjo

===Foreign policy===
[[File:Olusegun Obasanjo and Jimmy Carter-02.jpg|thumb|U.S. President [[Jimmy Carter]] with Obasanjo on the former's state visit to Nigeria in 1978]]Obasanjo was eager to establish Nigeria as a prominent leader in Africa and under his tenure its influence in the continent increased.{{sfnm|1a1=Iliffe|1y=2011|1p=73|2a1=Derfler|2y=2011|2p=93}} He revived Gowon's plan to hold the second [[FESTAC 77|World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture]] in Nigeria; it took place in Lagos in February 1977, although domestic critics argued that it was too expensive.{{sfn|Iliffe|2011|p=74}} Obasanjo gave low priority to the [[Economic Community of West African States]] (ECOWAS) and angered many of its Francophone members after insisting that, as the largest financial contributor to the organisation, Nigeria should host the organisation's headquarters in Lagos.{{sfn|Iliffe|2011|p=74}} Relations with nearby Ghana also declined; in 1979, Nigeria cut off oil supplies to the country to protest the execution of political opponents by [[Jerry Rawlings]]' new military junta.{{sfn|Iliffe|2011|p=83}}

Under Obasanjo, Nigeria loosened its longstanding ties with the United Kingdom and aligned more closely with the United States.{{sfn|Iliffe|2011|p=73}} Obasanjo was favourable to the U.S. government of [[Jimmy Carter]], who was elected in 1976, because of Carter's commitment to ensuring majority rule across southern Africa.{{sfn|Iliffe|2011|pp=75–76}} Carter's ambassador to Nigeria, [[Andrew Young]], formed a close personal friendship with Obasanjo,{{sfn|Iliffe|2011|p=76}} while Carter visited Nigeria in 1978.{{sfn|Derfler|2011|p=94}} However, the decision to shift allegiances was made for pragmatic rather than ideological reasons;{{sfn|Iliffe|2011|p=73}} the discovery of oil in the [[North Sea]] meant that the UK had become a competitor rather than a customer of Nigerian oil.{{sfn|Iliffe|2011|p=74}} Obasanjo's government was also angry that the UK refused to extradite Gowon and suspected that the British government might have been involved in the coup against Murtala. For these reasons, in 1976 it considered suspending diplomatic relations with the UK, but ultimately did not.{{sfn|Iliffe|2011|p=73}} Obasanjo nevertheless refused to visit the UK and discouraged his officials from doing so.{{sfn|Iliffe|2011|p=73}} Relations were further damaged when [[Margaret Thatcher]] became British Prime Minister [[1979 United Kingdom general election|in 1979]], initiating a warmer British approach to the white minority administrations of [[Rhodesia]] and [[Republic of South Africa (1961-1994)|South Africa]].{{sfnm|1a1=Iliffe|1y=2011|1p=79|2a1=Derfler|2y=2011|2pp=94–95}} In response, Nigeria seized a British tanker that was believed to be transporting Nigerian oil to South Africa, banned British firms from competing for Nigerian contracts,{{sfn|Iliffe|2011|p=79}} and nationalised [[British Petroleum]]'s Nigerian operations.{{sfnm|1a1=Iliffe|1y=2011|1p=79|2a1=Derfler|2y=2011|2pp=93, 95}}

Obasanjo was also eager to hasten the end of white minority rule in southern Africa;{{sfnm|1a1=Iliffe|1y=2011|1p=73|2a1=Derfler|2y=2011|2p=93}} according to Iliffe, this became "the centrepiece of his foreign policy".{{sfn|Iliffe|2011|p=74}} Nigeria gave grants to those fighting white minority rule in the region, allowed these groups to open offices in Lagos, and offered sanctuary to various refugees fleeing the governments of southern Africa.{{sfnm|1a1=Iliffe|1y=2011|1p=74|2a1=Derfler|2y=2011|2pp=93–94}} Taking a hard line against the [[apartheid]] regime in South Africa, Obasanjo announced that Nigeria would not take part in the [[1976 Summer Olympics]] because New Zealand, which was competing, had sporting ties with South Africa, a country that was banned from competing due to apartheid.{{sfn|Iliffe|2011|p=81}} In 1977, Obasanjo barred any contractors with South African links from operating in Nigeria; the main companies that were hit were British Petroleum and [[Barclays Bank]].{{sfnm|1a1=Iliffe|1y=2011|1p=81|2a1=Derfler|2y=2011|2p=93}} That same year, Nigeria hosted the [[United Nations Conference for Action Against Apartheid]] in Lagos,{{sfnm|1a1=Iliffe|1y=2011|1p=81|2a1=Derfler|2y=2011|2p=95}} while Obasanjo visited the U.S. in October where he urged the country to stop selling arms to South Africa.{{sfn|Iliffe|2011|p=77}} While in the country he addressed the [[United Nations General Assembly]] and two weeks later Nigeria received a seat on the [[United Nations Security Council]].{{sfn|Iliffe|2011|p=77}}

[[File:Margaret Thatcher (1983).jpg|thumb|left|The 1979 election of [[Margaret Thatcher]] as British Prime Minister contributed to deteriorating UK-Nigerian relations; Obasanjo deemed her too sympathetic to white minority governments in southern Africa|295x295px]]
Opposition to white minority rule in Rhodesia had sparked the [[Rhodesian Bush War]] and Obasanjo's government maintained that armed struggle was the only option for overthrowing Rhodesia's government. He encouraged unity among the various anti-government factions there,{{sfn|Iliffe|2011|p=75}} urging [[Robert Mugabe]], the head of [[ZANU]], to accept the leadership of his rival, [[Joshua Nkomo]] of [[ZAPU]].{{sfn|Iliffe|2011|p=79}} In 1977, the UK and US drew up proposals for a transition to majority rule in Rhodesia, amid a period in which the country would be under the management of [[United Nations]] forces. Obasanjo backed the plan, and visited Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique, and the Democratic Republic of Congo to urge their governments to do the same.{{sfn|Iliffe|2011|pp=76–77}} However, after Thatcher became UK Prime Minister, Nigeria distanced itself from British efforts to end the Rhodesian Bush War and was excluded from any significant role in the UK-brokered process that led to [[1980 Southern Rhodesian general election|multi-racial democratic elections in Rhodesia]].{{sfn|Iliffe|2011|p=80}}

As head of state, Obasanjo attended OAU summits. At that held in July 1977, he proposed the formation of a standing committee to mediate disputes between OAU member states.{{sfn|Iliffe|2011|p=83}} At the 1978 conference, he warned of interference from both sides in the [[Cold War]].{{sfn|Iliffe|2011|p=83}} At the next conference, he urged the formation of a Pan-African military which could engage in peace-keeping efforts on the continent.{{sfn|Iliffe|2011|p=83}} To promote Nigeria's role internationally, Obasanjo involved himself in various mediation efforts across Africa. In 1977, he persuaded Benin and Togo to end their border dispute and reopen their frontier.{{sfn|Iliffe|2011|p=82}} He also attempted to mediate a quarrel among several East African states and thus prevent the collapse of the [[East African Community]], but failed in this attempt.{{sfn|Iliffe|2011|p=82}} As the chair of the OAU mediation committee, he tried to mediate the [[Ogaden]] dispute between Ethiopia and Somalia but was again unsuccessful. He also failed to mend the breach that had emerged between Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo.{{sfn|Iliffe|2011|p=82}}

On behalf of the OAU, Obasanjo held a conference at Kano to mediate the [[Chadian Civil War (1965–1979)|Chadian Civil War]]. Several factions agreed to a ceasefire, to form a government of national unity, and to allow Nigerian troops to act as peacekeepers. The war nevertheless continued and Nigeria responded by cutting off its oil supply to Chad.{{sfn|Iliffe|2011|pp=82–83}} A second conference on the conflict took place in Lagos in August 1979, resulting in the formation of another short-lived transitional government.{{sfn|Iliffe|2011|p=83}} In the final year of his military government, he headed an OAU mission to resolve the conflict in [[Western Sahara]].{{sfn|Iliffe|2011|p=83}}