The Biafran Story

History Thursday!

With the second highest death toll of all Africans conflicts, the Nigerian civil war, also called the Biafran War is perhaps the single most significant event in Nigeria’s history. This 4-year conflict which ranged from the 6th of July 1967 to the 15th of January 1970 would claim the life of over 1000 soldiers and an estimated 2 million civilians. As the Nigerian government lead by General Yakubu Gowon fought to prevent the self-proclaimed Republic of Biafra which was led by General Chukwu Emeka Ojuwukwu.

To fully stand the root cause of the conflict, we need to go all the way back to the very beginning.

Upon gaining independence from great Britain in 1960, the newly formed Nigerian republic was greatly divided as the 3 ethnic group struggled to live in harmony.
Beyond the more obvious distinctions like language, clothing and marriage customs, Nigeria’s main ethnic groups also had significant differences in values and worldviews which and been developed over the many centuries leading up to the colonial era and the formation of the Nigerian state.

The Igbos who represented about 60-70% of the population of the south-east were mostly Christians who in the sanctuaries before the colonial era had lived in relatively egalitarian societies. Although most Igbos towns and villages were headed by monarchs called Eze’s, the political process within the Igbos community was exactly quite democratic as it involved general assemblies composed of title holders and other respected members of the Igbo society.

Status was acquired according to one’s abilities to solve societal issues and respect was given primarily to those who had acquired wealth as opposed to those who had simply inherited it. The character of Okwonkwo in the book Things Fall Apart by renowned Nigerians author, Chinua Achebe, was in many way the perfect illustration of the Igbo’s illustration of the self-made man.
The Igbo’s particular appreciation for wealth creation through handwork is undoubtedly the main reason why many of Nigeria’s champions of industry have been of Igbo ancestry.

By contrast, the majority Muslim Hausa-Fulani, which represented about 65% of the northern population had been for many years a feudal society in which large part of their population were ruled by small theocratic elites camped of Emirs and Sultans.

As the political leaders often doubled as religious leaders, compliance and submission to the rule of their political establishment was not really a civic duty but a religious one.

Very much unlike in Igbo societies, there was nothing particularly odd or shameful about a man aspiring to live a modest life as the farm worker, herdsmen or a nomadic cattle rearer. But contrary to commonly held prejudices, the Hausa Fulani were not in any way lazier or inherently less enterprising than their southern counterparts. They simply had a deeper appreciation for religious discipline and had a more socially conservative worldview.

However, there is no denying of fact that while the unquestioning submissiveness of northern societies to the theocratic establishment guaranteed internal stability and order, it also meant that the north was a lot less economically vibrant. Northerners were generally more open to new ideas and often completely rejected secular education in favor of Islamic education.
Demonstrating the extent of Nigeria’s north-south divide, some studies clearly demonstrated that as at Nigeria’s independence in 1960, Northern Nigeria’s had an English literacy rate of just 2% compared to the south-east that had an English literacy rate of 19.2%.
The Yorubas, which formed about 75% of Nigeria’s south-western population, were in many way a sort of half-way house between the Igbos and the Hausa Fulani who in terms of their religious affiliation and their political history. Although also majority Christians, they nevertheless had significant population of Muslims as well as follower of ancient Yoruba religions. In simple terms, the traditional Yoruba structure, we basically less theocratic as the Hausa Fulani, but nor as democratic as the Igbo.

For centuries, Yoruba societies were ruled by Kings known as obas who governed in close consolations with chief priests and priestesses.

Culturally, the Yorubas were quite similar to the Igbos in their appreciation for individual drive and ambition. However, the Yoruba tended to channel their energy toward excellence in their arts and academia as opposed to pure industry and wealth creation.

Many of them point to the Yoruba’s’ deep appreciation for the arts as the reason why many of Nigeria’s culture icons such as and the Nobel prize laureate professor Wole Soyinka have been of Yourba ancestry.

But to say that the difference between Nigeria’s 3 main tribes meant that the every Yoruba, igbos and Hausa Fulani person hated anyone that wants from their tribe would be very far from the truth. In reality, most yourba society got well enough with Igbos societies. The main cultures clash, if you’ll like was between the Hausa Fulani of the north and the 2 major ethnic groups of the south.

Prior to the colonial era, ancient Yoruba kingdoms such as the Oyo Empire have for many years suffered under several waves of jihadi attack Islamic sokoto caliphates of the north led by the famous Sultan Usman Danfodio.
Now, although the Igbos do not have a similar history of warring with the Hausa Fulani, the British colonial enterprise would create the perfect environment for the sharp differences between these 3 tribes to be brought to the forefront.

In 1914, British high commissioner, Frederick Lugard, effectively created the country we know today as Nigeria by bringing the northern and southern region together in the now infamous Nigerian amalgamation of 1914. Till this very day, the feeling among many Yoruba and Igbo historian is that one of the major purpose of this amalgamation was to make the more affluent south under the control of the autocratic north.

The theory goes, that by joining the more educated and therefore less controllable southern region to the much larger northern region, the British government was better able to implement its policy of indirect rule as the amalgamation essentially gave dominion over the entire country to the northern elites who were significantly less rebellious and generally more amenable to British interest.