How Nigeria Became Fractured: A Brief History Of Power, Conflict & Lessons
NIGERIA’S journey to its present challenges is rooted in a long history of power struggles, ethnic tensions, and political missteps that began long before independence. In the decades leading up to 1960, the country operated as three dominant regions—North, West, and East—each driven by different interests. Regional rivalry, mistrust, and competition for influence shaped early politics, with the North seeking political dominance and the East and West resisting perceived marginalisation.
When independence arrived, the First Republic was burdened by corruption, contested elections, and fragile alliances. These tensions erupted in January 1966, when young military officers—mostly Igbo—overthrew the civilian government, killing several Northern leaders and installing Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi. The coup’s ethnic tilt deepened divisions and sparked a retaliatory counter-coup in July led by Northern officers, resulting in Ironsi’s death and the rise of Yakubu Gowon.
The ensuing violence and mistrust pushed the Eastern Region toward secession, culminating in the declaration of the Republic of Biafra in 1967. The civil war that followed claimed millions of lives and left deep emotional and political scars. Even after the war ended in 1970, Nigeria continued to cycle through military rule, ethnic competition for federal power, disputes over oil wealth, and structural imbalances that still shape governance today.
This legacy explains the country’s ongoing struggles with corruption, unequal development, and fragile national cohesion. Nigeria’s history underscores a critical truth: stable nation-building requires fairness, inclusion, and a willingness to confront past mistakes rather than bury them.
