Happy 65th Independence Day? The Raw Truth of Colonial Theft and the Biafran Legacy

Child suffering from Kwashiorkor, found in Nigerian relief camps during the Nigerian–Biafran War, late 1960s (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA/Public Health Image Library). By Dr. Lyle Conrad [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.

The story of Nigerian independence isn't a neat, clean narrative. It's a raw history defined by the relentless extraction that spanned decades, and the bloody reality of resistance long before 1960.

The truth is, colonial rule in Nigeria was never about 'civilizing.' It was a calculated, military-enforced enterprise of economic exploitation. The British didn't come for friendship; they came for the wealth in the ground and on the farms—the palm oil, the cocoa, the groundnuts, the tin. They imposed a system designed to strip Nigeria of its raw materials and labour, deliberately crushing indigenous economies and discouraging food crops to ensure cash crops for British factories. The 'benefit' of infrastructure like the railways was purely to efficiently funnel these stolen resources to the ports. That was the core of the relationship for decades leading up to independence: a constant drain.

The fight wasn't a short, clean debate. Resistance was constant, bloody, and multifaceted. It didn't start with the famous nationalist leaders; it started when the British first arrived. You had the Aro-Anglo War (1901-1902), where the British launched a massive military expedition to finally establish control, costing many lives. You had the Women's War (Aba Riots) of 1929, a powerful, mass revolt by thousands of women against colonial taxation and the imposed Warrant Chief system. The British responded with violence, and by the time it was quelled, 55 women were officially recorded as killed, with many more wounded and uncounted. There were other uprisings and resistance movements across the North and South, where lives were lost fighting for local autonomy, not just national freedom. The actual toll of lives lost directly resisting the colonial military is buried in the euphemisms of 'punitive expeditions' and 'pacification,' but it is undeniably high.

The final push for formal independence, which culminated on October 1, 1960, was driven by political leaders who leveraged the groundwork of those who had resisted before them:

• Herbert Macaulay, often called the father of Nigerian nationalism, who founded the country’s first political party in 1923.

• Nnamdi Azikiwe ('Zik'), who used journalism and the NCNC to spread a fierce nationalist consciousness across the country.

• Obafemi Awolowo, who championed federalism and led the push for rapid self-governance in the West with the Action Group.

• Ahmadu Bello and Abubakar Tafawa Balewa from the Northern People’s Congress (NPC), who played the critical final role in securing the legislative agreements for the transfer of power.

• Anthony Enahoro, who famously moved the motion for independence in 1953, sparking a critical crisis.

Their struggle was one of diplomacy, constitutional conferences, mass mobilization, and political pressure, but it was built on a foundation of blood and decades of systemic oppression.

The bloodletting didn't stop in 1960; it simply changed hands seven years later. The Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970), also known as the Biafran War, was the inevitable explosion of the ethnic and regional fault lines the British had deliberately created and exploited through their "divide and rule" policy for administrative convenience. Colonial structures favoured certain regions, leading to profound imbalances in politics and economics that boiled over shortly after the Union Jack was lowered.

The direct triggers were the two brutal military coups in 1966 and the horrific pogroms that followed, where tens of thousands of Igbo people living in the North were massacred, forcing millions to flee back to the Eastern Region. Feeling abandoned and facing extermination within Nigeria, the Eastern Region, led by Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, declared itself the independent Republic of Biafra in May 1967. This secession attempt was met with a swift military response from the Federal Government of Nigeria (FMG), starting the 30-month war.

The Secret British Mobilisation and Fueling of the War

The deepest vulnerability in this history lies in the cynical, self-serving policy of the British government under the Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson.

1. The Oil Interest was Paramount: The biggest secret was that the British position was not rooted in supporting democracy or Nigerian unity, but solely in protecting their massive economic interests. The vast majority of Nigeria's oil assets were controlled by Shell-BP (part-owned by the British government) and were situated in the secessionist region. A unified Nigeria under the FMG was deemed the safest political vessel for securing the uninterrupted flow of oil and their multi-million-pound investments.

2. The Arms Lie: While publicly claiming to be a neutral, traditional supplier of arms—arguing that stopping sales would favour Biafra—the UK massively ramped up its supply of sophisticated weaponry to the FMG. This was a lie. This increase in arms was a deliberate strategic choice, ensuring the FMG had the military superiority needed to crush the secession and regain control of the oil-rich areas. They supplied millions of rounds of ammunition, armoured vehicles, and artillery, all while assuring the public that no special provision for the war was being made.

3. The Condoning of Starvation: The most horrifying and vulnerable truth is that the UK government actively shielded the FMG's strategy to use starvation as a weapon of war. They backed the Federal blockade of the region, which choked off food and medicine supplies. When images of the severely malnourished and starving children of Biafra were broadcast globally, the British government often dismissed the famine as "Biafran propaganda," thereby justifying their continued support and blocking international pressure for effective humanitarian relief until it was far too late.

   
   
   

A feeding center north of Owerri in Biafra, Oct. 1968 (Photo: Concern Worldwide)

The Biafran War was not just a tragic internal conflict; it was the final, devastating act of colonial mismanagement, actively enabled and fueled by the former colonial power to secure its long-term financial gain. It cost over a million lives, mostly civilians who starved to death.

Today, we acknowledge the raw, painful truth: Independence was not a gift; it was a right finally reclaimed after decades of organized theft and the brutal suppression of countless Nigerians.

Happy 65th Independence Day, Nigeria. May the resilience of those who fought and died never be forgotten, and may the full truth of every sacrifice be told.