Tag: Ethno-Nationalism

Fifty years since the declaration of separatist Biafra, the narrative still reverberates across Nigeria. This is common in the south-eastern region where pro-Biafra movements with claims to the principle of self-determination, continue to reinvent the idea of the hitherto aborted Biafra. Relying essentially on primary data, this paper examines the current neo-Biafran agitation within the organizational framework of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) movement. Findings reveal that IPOB is a scion of the Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and an initiative of Nigerians in the Diaspora; that the group amplifies her struggle using the media; that non-violence remains the official principle of the group; and that group cohesion is very strong within the movement. Furthermore, the perception of marginalization, exclusionary politics, cumulative injustice, a weak economy, politics of the memory as well as state repression are factors that strengthen the neo-Biafran agitation. The paper suggests that strategies of inclusion, re-orientation of the Nigerian citizens, de-militarization of the Nigerian public space, dialogue and redefining of the Nigerian political structure are means through which the neo-Biafran agitation could be effectively managed.