Events

Nigerian Civil War

The Contemporary World

Citation Formats

General Reference

History Atlas. "Nigerian Civil War." Accessed September 1, 2026. https://dev-history.interactiveatlas.org/events/nigerian-civil-war.

APA Style

History Atlas. (n.d.). Nigerian Civil War. Retrieved September 1, 2026, from https://dev-history.interactiveatlas.org/events/nigerian-civil-war

BibTeX

@misc{historyatlas-nigerian-civil-war,
  author = {History Atlas},
  title = {Nigerian Civil War},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://dev-history.interactiveatlas.org/events/nigerian-civil-war},
  note = {Accessed September 1, 2026}
}

The Nigerian Civil War, often called the Biafran War, was fought from 6 July 1967 to 15 January 1970 after the south-eastern region of Nigeria, dominated by the Igbo people and led by Lieutenant Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, declared independence as the Republic of Biafra following a wave of ethnic massacres of Igbo civilians in the north. Nigeria's federal government under General Yakubu Gowon fought to keep the country united, and Britain and the Soviet Union both backed the federal side while France and a handful of African states gave Biafra limited support. The federal military campaign, combined with a blockade that cut off food to the secessionist enclave, produced a famine that killed far more people than combat did, and Biafra surrendered in January 1970, ending the secession and restoring Nigeria's territorial unity at immense human cost.

Facts

Disputed

Death Toll, Low Estimate

500,000 to 2,000,000 1

Civilian deaths, overwhelmingly from starvation caused by the wartime blockade, are estimated at 500,000 to 2 million; military casualties on both sides combined are estimated separately at roughly 45,000 to 100,000.

Year

1967 1

Event Date

1967-07-06 1

Location

South-eastern Nigeria (the former Republic of Biafra) 1

Cross-Tradition Connections

Associated With

Nigeria

Additional Source Wikipedia: Nigerian Civil WarLead section (parties)

In Era

The African Independence Era

Sources

1. Wikipedia: Nigerian Civil War

WikipediaLead section

Quote, Lead section

During the 2+1/2 years of the war, there were approximately 100,000 overall military casualties, while between 500,000 to 2 million Biafran civilians died of starvation.

View the Source

1. Wikipedia: Nigerian Civil War

WikipediaLead section (dates)

Quote, Lead section (dates)