59 Years After Biafra: Ojukwu's Restructuring Offer Still Relevant

Today, May 24, 2026, marks 59 years since the declaration of the sovereign state of Biafra. The action was one of the immediate causes of the Nigeria Civil War, also known as the Biafra War. Since the end of the war in 1970, it's generally believed that the Igbo have remained marginalized in the nation's sociopolitical equation.

The National President of Igbo Women Assembly (IWA), Lolo Nneka Chimezie, argued that clamping down on people trying to remember the atrocities that led to the Civil War won't bring any solution. Chimezie noted that the conflict was avoidable and rooted in political betrayal, ethnic persecution, and the refusal of Nigeria's leadership at the time to embrace restructuring as proposed by late Biafran leader, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu. She said they didn't take the necessary steps to prevent the war.

"We engaged in a war that ought not to have been," she said. "Ojukwu offered restructuring to save lives and preserve peace, but it was rejected. Today, the same restructuring they dismissed has become the loudest conversation in Nigeria."

Chimezie painted a grim picture of a nation still battling the ghosts of the civil war. She insisted that Nigeria's refusal to genuinely reconcile with the Igbo people has continued to fuel agitation across the South-East and parts of the South-South. According to her, this refusal has had serious consequences. Policies allegedly targeted at suppressing the Igbo have not only deepened alienation but also stunted Nigeria's growth and unity.

The IWA President traced the evolution of pro-Biafra agitation from the era of Ralph Uwazuruike and MASSOB to the rise of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) under Nnamdi Kanu. She described the movement as a reaction to "persistent exclusion, injustice, and marginalisation." She accused the Federal Government of applying double standards in its handling of security and separatist concerns. She argued that while violent criminals and terrorists receive amnesty and rehabilitation, pro-Biafra agitators are met with force and repression.

The Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL) expressed anger that nearly six decades after the civil war, the grievances that triggered the conflict remain unresolved. President-General of COSEYL, Goodluck Ibem, said the continued agitation in the South-East was rooted in perceived injustice, political exclusion, economic neglect, and the refusal of the Nigerian state to address demands for equity and true federalism. He didn't mention any other reasons for the agitation.

And yet, some analysts believe that the struggle may remain a mirage until the Igbo political elite gets on board and genuinely buys into the project. Speaking on whether the "Biafra question" had been answered, former President of Aka Ikenga, Goddy Uwazurike, and founder and Chairman, Board of Trustees of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Chekwas Okorie, said successive governments had failed to address the root causes of the war. They didn't provide any evidence that the government had made any efforts to address these causes.

The post-war banking policy that limited many Igbo account holders to £20 regardless of their pre-war savings was cited as evidence that reconciliation was never sincerely pursued. Okorie also accused the Federal Government of neglecting infrastructure and economic development in the South East after the war. He specifically mentioned the abandonment of seaports in the region.

According to Okorie, the feeling of alienation among younger Igbos who didn't witness the war contributed to renewed separatist agitation in recent years. He said this feeling was what degenerated to demand for a resuscitation of the Biafran struggle. Okorie advised younger agitators to embrace political participation rather than violent confrontation. He described the Igbo problem as "essentially political."

He urged Igbos across the country to become more active in the electoral process and political parties. He argued that their demographic spread across Nigeria gave them significant political influence if properly mobilised. He said they won't have to fire any shot to achieve their goals. "Their relevance will return to them without having to fire any shot," he said.

The Igbo question remains unresolved, and the struggle for justice and equality continues. As the nation marks 59 years since the declaration of Biafra, it's clear that the issues that led to the civil war are still relevant today. The call for restructuring, equity, and true federalism remains loud. It's up to the government to listen and take action. They can't afford to ignore these issues anymore.