ORIGINS

• British imperialism brought together three different regions.The northern region dominated by houssa, Fulani, the western region by the Yoruba,and the Eastern region by the Ibo
• Formation of regional parties making national unity difficult such as the Ibo dominated National council of Nigeria and the Cameroons(NCNC) LED BY Azikiwe, the Yoruba dominated Action Group(AG) led by Awolowo and the Hausa –fulani dominated Northern people’s congress (NPC) in the North led by Ahmadou Bello and Abubakar Tafawa
• The two southern regions (East and West) dominated the educational, commercial industrial and official life of Nigeria and were dominantly Christians and were suspected by the Moslem Northern region.
• The poor organization of census in 1963 in favour of the Northern region
• The electoral mal practices in the 1964 and 1965 in the federal and regional elections in favour of the NPC caused chaos.
• The arrest and imprisonment of the influential western leader Awolowa caused disorder in the Western region.
• The January 1966 coup by junior officers and selective killings of people of Northern origin such as the federal prime minister Abubakar, Tafawa Balewa, the Sardauna of Sokoto and the premier of Northern Nigeria Ahmadou Bello, the prime minister of the werstern region an ally to the Northerners chief Samuel Akintola etc was provocative to the Northerners.
• The establishment of military rule heads by general Aguiyi- ironsi an ibo in junuary 1966, was hated by the Northerners especially his promotions in favour of the ibo and promised to create a unitary state.
• The July 1966 coup and the execution of general ironsi was condemned by the Easterners. The Governor of the Easter region colonel ojukwu refused to recognize Colonel Gowon as the new military leader after the July 1966 coup.
• The widespread killings of the Ibo in the North
• The refusal of colonel ojukwi to share the oil rich resources of the east

1. Reasons for the Nigerian Civil War, 1967-70

The secession of the Eastern region from the Federal republic of Nigeria as the state of Biafra by Colonel Ojukwu on May 30^th 1967 provoked Civil War in Nigeria from 1967 to 1970. It was caused by many factors;

Remote causes

• Fear of Northern domination.
• Regionalism
• Widespread bribery and corruption
• Tribalism and nepotism, in the civil service and army
• Corrupt and inefficient judiciary
• Poorly organised census
• The arrest and imprisonment
• Electoral malpractices
• Inability of the federal government to protect the rights of the minorities
• The failure of the federal government to promote equal development
• The January 1966 coup
• The rise of general Johnson Aguiyu Ironsi

The immediate causes

• In July 1966 General ironsi was killed
• The non- recognition of yakubu gowon
• The widespread massacre of the igbos
• The failure of gowon to provide additional funds
• The refusal of colonel ojukwu the governor of the Eastern region to share oil revenue
• Gowon’s decision to create 12 new states
• The failure of general gowon to respect the Aburi accord of 1967.
• The strong domestic support given to the igbo
• Promises made by foreign powers to the governor of the eastern region.
• The declaration of the Eastern region.

2. Summary reasons why the secession of the eastern region took place in 1967

• The igbo wanted to escape the political domination of the hausa-fulani.
• The igbo were not happy with the sharing of the national cake in favour of the Northerns
• The igbos hated the organisation of the Nigerian census in 1963
• The igbos hated electoral malpractices
• The igbos wanted to enjoy social justice
• The failure of gowon to respect the aburi accord of 1967.
• The eastern region was commercially and industrially
• The eastern region was socially developed
• The rise of gowon as new leader who was a northerner
• The mass killing of the igbo in the North
• The refusal of gowon to provide additional assistance

3. Course of the civil war

• The federal government declared war on Biafra and the civil war began.
• In the war the federal government was support by USA, USSR, Britain and most African countries while the state of Biafra was supported by France, Portugal, South Africa, Israel, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Tanzania, and Zambia etc.
• The federal government blocked the coast, and a similar blockade was mounted by the Cameroon government making it difficult for Biafra to receive reinforcement of arms,food, troops, and medecines.
• The federal government recaptured Benin in the mid-west, Enugu and Calabar fell.
• The federal government captured most of their strategic bases at abakaliki aflikpo,Bony and Onitsha.

4. Summary reasons why the war lasted for solong.

• The strong determination of the Biafrans
• The ability of the Biafrans to survive
• The federal government underestimated the biafran military power.
• The two leaders, OJUkwu and Gowon were very rigid
• Foreign interference helped to prolong

5. Summary reasons why the secession of Biafra failed

• The federal government had more military forces
• The federal government had better trained forces
• The federal government enjoyed more domestic support
• The faillures of the Igbo to receive the expected support
• Ojukwu had under estimated
• The wise strategy of gowon.
• The federal government enjoyed more international support,
• The effective naval blockade.
• Launched an economic war against Biafra.
• Launched a war of a genocide
• There was no coordination and control of the biafran forces
• The federal government was better equipped

6. Effect of the War

Negatives effects

• Millions of Nigerians lost their lives
• It led to the destruction of homes
• It led to malnutrition
• It disrupted education
• Many Nigerians became orphans
• It led to the destruction of transport
• Destruction of industries

             Positives effects

• It made Nigerians to hate war
• It promote national integration
• It made the Hausa-Fulani people in the north to become very dynamic
• It led to the rehabilitation commission.
• It promoted creativity