 Murtala naObasanjo vaive vakazvipira kupedza hurumende yeEuropean yekoloni uye hutongi hwevarungu muSouthern Africa, chinangwa chakaratidzwa musarudzo dzavo dzematongerwo enyika. Chinangwa ichi chakava chinonetsa zvikuru kuna Obasanjo. Pashure pokunge Angola yawana rusununguko kubva kuPortugal, hondo yevagari vomunyika iyoyo yakatanga. Nigeria yakaziva kururama kwehurumende yakaparidzwa neMPLA, boka reMarxist rakatsigirwa neSoviet Union, nokuti FNLA neUNITA dzaikwikwidzana dzaibetserwa nehurumende yevarungu vashoma muSouth Africa. Kunze kwokupa rubatsiro rwezvinhu kuMPLA, Nigeria yakatanga kukurudzira dzimwe nyika dzeAfrica kuti dzizivewo hurumende yeMPLA, uye pakutanga kwa1976 nyika zhinji dzeOrganisation of African Unity OAU dzakanga dzazviita. Muna February 1976, Obasanjo akatungamirira boka reNigerian kumhemberero yegore reMPLA muLuanda, uko akazivisa kuti: Iri ndiro zuva rokufananidzira, rinoratidza kutanga kwekurwisana kwekupedzisira nekolonialism, imperialism uye rusaruraganda muAfrica. 