The Federal, State and Local Governments as well as relevant stakeholders have been urged to institutionalize memorialisation of the 30-month Nigeria/Biafra War (July 6, 1967-January 15, 1970).

This formed the thrust of the communique of the second edition of Nzuko Umunna monthly dialogue on the topic: “Memorializing the Nigerian – Biafran War- A Catalyst to Better Civic Engagement and Sustainable Development in Southeast Nigeria.”

In the monthly Webinar held on 30th May, 2024, stakeholders from different sectors including academics, traditional, civil society organizations, community leaders and policymakers, reflected on memorialising the Nigeria-Biafra War and its implications for civic engagement and sustainable development in the region.

A communique by President of Nzuko Umunna, Professor Chinedu Nebo and Executive Secretary, Dr. Uju Agomoh said participants deliberated and reminiscence on the devastating effects of the war on Igbo land as a whole including the lives lost, people displaced along with economic devastation.

They extolled the resilience and determination of the Igbo people of Nigeria in the face of all the adversity which brought about the significant progress made in rebuilding and reconstructing Igbo land despite all the social, economic, and political challenges that tried frustrating sustainable development in the region.

The session called on the government and stakeholders to establish memorial museums, digital archives and online platforms dedicated wholly to the history of the Nigerian-Biafran War, showcasing personal stories, artifacts, photographs and historical documents with interactive exhibits and multimedia presentations to engage visitors and educate them on the impacts of war.

⁠As part of the memorialisation, they called for the erection of monuments in key locations to honour the victims and veterans of the war.

Other recommendations by the session were to “develop school curriculum that includes comprehensive lessons on the Nigerian-Biafran War with emphasis on the importance of peace and reconciliation.

“Organize workshops and seminars with historians, survivors and scholars to facilitate deeper understanding and dialogue.

“Annual commemorative events in forms of memorial services, peace walks and cultural festivals on significant dates related to the war.

“Implement policies and programmes that address the lingering effects of the war.

“Support initiatives that promote civic engagement and sustainable development in the region.

“Encourage community participation in these events to foster a sense of collective memory and solidarity.”

Government was also urged to collaborate with non-governmental organizations like Nzuko Umunna, Ohanaeze Ndigbo etc, international bodies to fund and implement memorialization projects, ensuring that initiatives reflect the experiences and perspectives of all affected groups to foster inclusivity and ownership.

Government should identify and preserve significant sites related to the war, such as battlefields, refugee camps and historical buildings; to support initiatives that will bring solutions to the root causes of conflict and encourage sustainable and remarkable development in Alaigbo.

Participants said the communique when implemented will not only help in memorializing the dead war veterans but also help to promote healing and educate the future generations and bring about sustainable development and peace in the Southeast and Nigeria in general.

Continuing, the communique noted the resolve of participants to nurture a culture that enhances peace, tolerance, and understanding in the midst of the diverse communities in Alaigbo.

Other resolutions taken were: “To sponsor and encourage a participatory and inclusive governance to ensure that all citizens have a voice.

“Encourage massive investment in vital areas of the economy like health, infrastructure and education which will lead to massive human capital and economic growth.”

The keynote speaker, Barrister Adaeze Anah, the Managing Principal at The Anah Law Practice, made an incisive and engaging presentation where she highlighted human rights violations especially genocide committed against the Biafra side by the Federal Government of Nigeria and its agents.

According to her, despite the intense agitation discourses on the war rouses, there has been a reluctance to examine violations suffered by the people of the defunct Biafra through a human rights lens.

Anah said: “In essence, analysing Nigerian – Biafran War through the human rights lens is the most viable way to disrupt the denialism of the Nigerian Government and the International System regarding the violations suffered by the people of defunct Biafra. It opens up the possibility of reparations and remedies for victims of violations and gives room for demand for accountability. With this being said, two pertinent questions beg to be answered; “Did the Federal Government of Nigeria commit acts constituting violations of humanitarian and human rights laws against the people of the defunct Biafra? And is there a legal basis for the Nigerian Government to be held accountable for these violations?

“The Federal Government of Nigeria committed acts that unequivocally violated humanitarian and human rights laws. These violations trigger an obligation on the part of the Nigerian Government to provide remedies. These obligations are anchored on remedy as required by Article 2 (3) of the ICCPR. These obligations remain undischarged and the violations against the people of the defunct Biafra continue to date producing a more complicated problem that stunts the corporate growth of the region.”

Citing the Genocide Convention, Anah stated that the actions of the Nigerian Government and its military amounted to genocide against the Igbo people in the war. It does not matter that the heavyweights do not acknowledge it, it is what it is.  Fifty-two years later, the Rwandan Genocide which happened more than three decades after the Genocide in the Nigerian-Biafran War and recorded considerably lower casualties (800,000 as opposed to the about 2,000,000 deaths in defunct Biafra) have not only received massive attention from the global human rights system and the International Community at large and has become the ultimate symbol of justice, it has become the universal symbol of the fight against genocide.

“Whilst I find this certainly questionable, it would be dishonest not to give the Rwandan people for this “success” because we can all agree that they have done a good job of memorializing that genocide,” she opined.

The Nigerian – Biafran war ended in 1970 but the effect of that war continues to rear its head and affect the experiences of Ndigbo as Nigerians. She listed some of the ways the politics and violations from the war continue to affect the lives of Ndigbo to include stigmatization, marginalization, crime and misplacement of the Igbo moral standards, displacement of Ndigbo as well as undying secessionist agitation.

“Another profound manifestation of this stigmatization is the reluctance and, in some cases, outright refusal of some Igbo communities in the minority in the south-south to identify as Igbos. This is against unimpeached history showing that these communities are of Igbo descent. These disassociations became popular after the war showing how inelegant it is perceived to be Igbo in the Nigerian space…

“One of the legacies of the Nigeria-Biafra war that does not get as much attention as it should be is the displacement of many children during the war. For this discussion, I specifically highlight the children who were airlifted and sent to different African countries to save them from dying of starvation during the war. Some of these children were air-lifted by the Joint Church Aid, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the French Red Cross, and Caritas and were taken to countries like Gabon, Sao Tome and Principe, Ivory Coast. etc. Many of these children never returned. This is one of the sad yet seldom talked about legacy of the war,” Anah stated.

In his opening remarks, the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka Achebe (Agbogidi) who chaired the event, urged Ndigbo to always do a retrospection of their trajectory, noting that he who did not know where the rain started pouring on him might not know where it would stop.

Describing Ndigbo as creative, enterprising, industrious, and God-fearing, the monarch urged them not to let down the guard but continue to keep the Igbo spirit alive.

The two panel discussants-Dr. Okey Anueyiagu and Mazi Sam Ohuabunwa, harped on the need for Ndigbo to always ‘know themselves’ given their peculiar situation in Nigeria which calls for eternal vigilance and tact.