LANRE TOWRY-COKER, PhD.
Dr. Lanre Towry-Coker, FRIBA, FNIA, MA Law (UL), Ph.D, a former commissioner for housing in Lagos State, with a doctorate from Lagos State University, is founder of Towry-Coker Associates since 1976, and a professional architect with a postgraduate qualification in Architecture from the University of North East London. He had his professional training at the world famous Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and is an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in the United Kingdom (ACI.Arb.). Towry-Coker Associates was involved in the master plan of Abuja Federal Capital.
As geopolitical tensions between the United States and China escalate, particularly around trade, technology, and influence, many developing nations are being pulled —subtly or overtly— into taking sides. For Nigeria, the clearest path forward is neutrality. Not passive silence, but strategic, principled independence.
We have too much at stake to be caught in the crossfire. China has become a key development partner, funding and delivering major infrastructure projects —railways, roads, and airports— at scale. Meanwhile, the United States continues to offer critical support across oil, education, finance, governance, and security. Each brings value. And each demands careful, calibrated engagement — not ideological allegiance.
I recall during my tenure as Commissioner for Housing in Lagos State, (1999-2003), receiving business men from both countries — one after the other in the same week. The Chinese offered speed and capital; the Americans brought in frameworks, capacity-building, etc and long-term institutional partnerships. Each had strengths. But what struck me most was that neither approach could, or should, replace the other. Nigeria must work with both, on our terms.
Now, amid rumblings of a broader global trade war, we must double down on that pragmatism. Our economy —already exposed to inflation, currency pressures, and fiscal stress— cannot afford further shocks. Disrupted imports, rising costs, and retaliatory restrictions would hit Nigerian households and businesses hard. This is not a moment for miscalculated diplomacy.
Moreover, as a leading economy in Africa, Nigeria has responsibilities beyond its borders. We championed the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to reduce dependency and promote intra-African commerce. Taking sides in a superpower standoff would undermine that vision. It would fracture continental unity just when we need it most.
The right course for Nigeria is to serve as a bridge between East and West. To remain open to partnerships — without becoming a proxy. To assert our sovereignty by engaging all, while surrendering to none.
Let others play their geopolitical chess. Our task is to build our economy, secure our people, and lead our continent with clarity and confidence.
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