No Easy Row for a Russian to Hoe: Ideology and Pragmatism in Nigerian-Soviet Relations, 1960-1991

Another instance where greater detail would have supported his examples was with the construction of the steel plant at Ajaokuta. Matusevich states that the Nigerian government had turned to the Soviets for help in building the plant because the West had turned down the proposition. Using the Russians to finance the project is a prime example of Nigerian practicality during the Cold War. When the United States would not help finance the construction, Nigeria was quick to seek aid elsewhere. But he does not explain why they remained involved with the Soviets after problems arose. As early as 1979 Nigeria was not happy with Soviet technicians, the quality of the equipment coming from Russia, and the delays in construction. The question remaining unanswered is why did the government not threaten to stop Soviet aid and turn to Western aid? Nigeria had successively manipulated the Cold War rhetoric to its advantage up until this point. But Matusevich does not answer why the Nigerian government abandoned this tactic and threaten Soviet prestige in Africa by turning to the West for assistance.

Despite these drawbacks, No Easy Row to Hoe is an extremely informative book on Nigerian-Soviet relations. Matusevich effectively demonstrates that Nigeria was not on the periphery of Cold War relationships. This book illustrates how successful Nigeria was in manipulating Cold War rhetoric from an ideological base to a pragmatic one. Matusevich has created new avenues for future research to examine this relationship in more detail. Additionally, he asks important questions about the future of Nigeria and other Third World nations now that the Cold War is over. By playing on Western fears of communism and losing commercial enterprises, Nigeria was able to secure aid from the West. Now with the collapse of the Soviet empire, Africa is competing for aid with Eastern Europe and Russia. Will Africans be able to manipulate the international system and gain benefits for themselves or will they remain marginalized? Matusevich's book sets the stage for further investigation into this and other questions about Africa's participation in the post-Cold War global economy.

Elizabeth Day University of Texas at Austin

Copyright Association of Third World Studies, Inc. Spring 2005
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