The Politics of Biafra and the Future of Nigeria

The Politics of Biafra and the Future of Nigeria
is a reflection on the importance of history in addressing present
realities and the future of coexistance of Nigeria’s multi ethnic
society. It analyses the ideological struggles and conflict in Biafra
during the war with Nigeria from 1967-1970, the impact of the war and
the relevance of those struggles to the current agitations for a new
state of Biafra. In this historical and analytical work, the author
observes that nearly fifty years after the end of the Nigerian-Biafra
war in 1970, Nigeria is still grappling with the Biafran dilemma. No
matter its pretensions, Nigeria will at some point have to reform its
present pseudo federal arrangement to create a more inclusive, equitable
and proper federal structure. If not, the country will continue to face
epileptic developmental thrusts, militancy in the Niger Delta and a
ruinous intensifying clamour for self-determination by disadvantaged
ethnic groups, especially the Igbo.

The author argues that in the world,
in the era of technology inspired globalisation, it is impossible to
hold an unwilling people hostage in any country without negative
consequences. He makes a case for a new order in Nigeria, expressing the
view that Nigeria is caught in a vicious circle of graft and
instability and nothing will change until Nigeria finds the proper
foundational matrix to galvanise the talents and resources of the people
and create a productive economy.