A Historical Review of Igbo Nationalism in the Nigerian Political Space

Nigeria is a country of many nationalities owing to its ethnic configuration. The Igbo ethnic stock is one of the dominant ethnic groups that struggle to take control of aspects of the state power starting from the period of colonialism to the contemporary time. The Igbo nation contributed meaningfully during the nationalist struggle to secure political independence for Nigeria. The pogrom and genocide committed against the Igbo during the July 29 counter coup d’état of 1966 as well as the devastating civil war and undue marginalization that have not been addressed overtime, spurred and necessitated the Igbo question, which has led to the contemporary Igbo nationalist struggle. The paper traces the provenance of Igbo micro nationalism and highlights the factors responsible for resurgence of Igbo micro-nationalist struggle. The discourse also examines the contradictions in the agitation and the strategies adopted by Movement for the Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) and Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to pursue Igbo micro nationalism as well as the role of Ohaneze Ndi Igbo, while recommending increased socio-political and economic cooperation among Igbo peoples and their neighbors in the global village.