Submit your papersSubmit Now
For Enquiries: [email protected]
IIARD LogoIIARD

Security Delima and Civil War in the New State: A Study of Nigeria Civil War

Sani, Hussaina, Danjuma, Isaac Fwachano

Abstract

This paper examined the Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970) through the lens of the security dilemma to understand how fear, mistrust, and weak institutions in a newly independent state escalated into one of Africa’s deadliest conflicts. The security dilemma, rooted in the works of Herz and Jervis, explains how defensive measures by one group are perceived as offensive threats by others, leading to spirals of insecurity and eventual conflict. Using secondary sources and content analysis, the study analyzed how the January and July 1966 coups, ethnic massacres, and mutual perceptions of insecurity created conditions that pushed the Eastern Region to declare the Republic of Biafra, triggering war with the Nigerian federal government. The findings revealed that fragile institutions, ethnic rivalries, and resource competition, particularly over oil in the Niger Delta, intensified the security dilemma and made compromise difficult. The war resulted in catastrophic humanitarian consequences, including mass starvation, displacement, and the death of an estimated one to three million people, while also attracting international involvement. The study concluded that the Nigerian Civil War illustrates how fragile new states, lacking strong and impartial institutions, are highly vulnerable to the security dilemma, which transforms political contestations into violent civil wars. It recommended strengthening national integration, building inclusive governance, and addressing ethnic mistrust to prevent similar conflicts in fragile post- colonial states.

Keywords

Security dilemmaCivil warNew stateNigeriaBiafra

References

Achebe, C. (2012). There was a country: A personal history of Biafra. London, UK: Penguin. Adebajo, A. (2002). Liberia’s civil war: Nigeria, ECOMOG, and regional security in West Africa. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner. Ake, C. (1996). Democracy and development in Africa. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press. Akinwale, A. (2010). Integrating the traditional and the modern conflict management strategies in Nigeria. African Journal on Conflict Resolution, 10(3), 81–104. Alao, A. (2012). The politics of the Nigerian Civil War. New York, NY: Routledge. Butterfield, H. (1951). History and human relations. London, UK: Collins. Cederman, L. E., Wimmer, A., & Min, B. (2010). Why do ethnic groups rebel? New data and analysis. World Politics, 62(1), 87–119. Clapham, C. (1996). Africa and the international system: The politics of state survival. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Coleman, J. S. (1958). Nigeria: Background to nationalism. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. Collier, P. (2000). Economic causes of civil conflict and their implications for policy. Washington, DC: World Bank. Collier, P., & Hoeffler, A. (2004). Greed and grievance in civil war. Oxford Economic Papers, 56(4), 563–595. Collins, A. (1997). The security dilemma and the end of the Cold War. Review of International Studies, 23(2), 249–264. De St. Jorre, J. (1972). The Nigerian Civil War. London, UK: Hodder & Stoughton. Falola, T., & Heaton, M. (2008). A history of Nigeria. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Fearon, J. D., & Laitin, D. D. (1996). Explaining interethnic cooperation. American Political Science Review, 90(4), 715–735. Fearon, J. D., & Laitin, D. D. (2003). Ethnicity, insurgency, and civil war. American Political Science Review, 97(1), 75–90. Gurr, T. R. (1970). Why men rebel. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Herz, J. H. (1950). Idealist internationalism and the security dilemma. World Politics, 2(2), 157– 180. Jackson, R. H. (1990). Quasi-states: Sovereignty, international relations and the Third World. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Jackson, R. H., & Rosberg, C. G. (1982). Why Africa’s weak states persist: The empirical and the juridical in statehood. World Politics, 35(1), 1–24. Jervis, R. (1978). Cooperation under the security dilemma. World Politics, 30(2), 167–214. Kalyvas, S. N. (2006). The logic of violence in civil war. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Madiebo, A. (1980). The Nigerian revolution and the Biafran war. Enugu, Nigeria: Fourth Dimension Publishers. Migdal, J. S. (1988). Strong societies and weak states: State-society relations and state capabilities in the Third World. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Nafziger, E. W., & Auvinen, J. (2002). Economic development, inequality, war, and state violence. New York, NY: Palgrave. Nnoli, O. (2008). Ethnic politics in Nigeria (Rev. ed.). Enugu, Nigeria: Pan African Centre for Research. Osaghae, E. E. (1998). Crippled giant: Nigeria since independence. London, UK: C. Hurst Osaghae, E. E. (1998). Crippled giant: Nigeria since independence. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press. Posen, B. R. (1993). The security dilemma and ethnic conflict. Survival, 35(1), 27–47. Rotberg, R. I. (2004). When states fail: Causes and consequences. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Sambanis, N. (2004). What is civil war? Conceptual and empirical complexities of an operational definition. Journal of Conflict Resolution, 48(6), 814–858. Siollun, M. (2009). Oil, politics and violence: Nigeria’s military coup culture (1966–1976). New York, NY: Algora Publishing. Stremlau, J. J. (1977). The international politics of the Nigerian Civil War, 1967–1970. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Uche, C. U. (2008). Oil, British interests and the Nigerian Civil War. Journal of African History, 49(1), 111–135. Williams, P. (2011). War and conflict in Africa. Cambridge, UK: Polity Press.

More Articles from INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND MANAGEMENT RESEARCH

Building National Analytics Capacity: Advances and Future Pathways

Author: Uchechi Mary-Linda Unamma, Ifeanyichukwu Jeffrey Okwesa, Uzoamaka Iwuanyanwu

Root-Cause and Thematic Analysis for Major Incident Management: A Review

Author: Ifeanyichukwu Jeffrey Okwesa, Uchechi Mary-Linda Unamma, Uzoamaka Iwuanyanwu

Data-Quality and Single-Source-Of-Truth Frameworks for Inter- Agency Reporting: A Review

Author: Uchechi Mary-Linda Unamma, Ifeanyichukwu Jeffrey Okwesa, Uzoamaka Iwuanyanwu

Human-In-The-Loop Decision Systems: Advances and Future Directions

Author: Funmilayo Ashore-Onisemo, Uchechi Mary-Linda Unamma, Ifeanyichukwu Jeffrey, Okwesa,

Roles of Oil Subsidy Removal on Transportation Cost and Water Factory in Cross River South, Nigeria

Author: Onwuzurike Peter Tobechi, Owoh Akwa Owoh, Unoh Grace Inyang, Umaru Musa