Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- Created 1958-1971 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
16 boxes and 10 volumes of bound publications
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Nigeria obtained its independence on 1 October 1960, having been formerly under British rule. In the same year a Federal Government based on the parliamentary system was created. Elections had been held in 1959, centred on a number of ruling parties including the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC), which had control of the Eastern region and was led by Nnamdi Azikiwe; the Northern People's Congress (NPC), which had control of the Northern region and was led by Ahmadu Bello; and the Action Group (AG), which had control of the Western region and was led by Obafemi Awolowo. No party won a majority during the elections, and the NPC joined with the NCNC to form the government. When independence arrived in 1960, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was made Prime Minister and Nnamdi Azikiwe was made Governor General.
In 1962, part of the Action group split off to form the Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP), led by S. I. Akintola. In 1963, the Mid-Western Region was formed from part of the Western Region. In 1963, Nigeria became a Federal Republic with Nnamdi Azikiwe as President. A great deal of controversy followed the 1963 population census, which the NCNC felt overestimated the number of people in the Northern Region, giving them a greater representation in the federal parliament. In January 1966, a group of Igbo army officials staged a coup d'etat to overthrow the government, killing Balewa, Bello and Akintola and placing General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi in charge of the new military government. He suspended the regional constitution, dissolved all legislative bodies, banned political parties and formed a Federal Military Government that was more central in nature.
There were strong suspicions that Aguiyi-Ironsi favoured the Igbo (Ibo) over other ethnic groups, fuelled by the fact that the military government did not prosecute the army officers responsible for killing the northern leaders. Many northerners saw the coup as a plot to make the Igbo dominant in Nigeria, and there was hostility from the Muslim population. Fighting broke out between the northerners and the Igbo, and in July 1966 a group of northern army officers revolted against the government, killed General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, and appointed the army Chief of Staff, General Yakubu Gowon, as head of the new military government. In 1967, Gowon moved to split the existing 4 regions of Nigeria into 12 states. The military governor of the Eastern Region, Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, refused to accept the division of the Eastern Region and declared that this region would become an independent republic, named Biafra. This led to a civil war between Biafra and the remainder of Nigeria. The war began in June 1967 and continued until Biafra surrendered on 15 January 1970. Over 1 million people died during the conflict.
Archival history
GB 0102 MS 321463 Created 1958-1971 Collection (fonds) 16 boxes and 10 volumes of bound publications Cronje , Suzanne , fl 1972 , author
Nigeria obtained its independence on 1 October 1960, having been formerly under British rule. In the same year a Federal Government based on the parliamentary system was created. Elections had been held in 1959, centred on a number of ruling parties including the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC), which had control of the Eastern region and was led by Nnamdi Azikiwe; the Northern People's Congress (NPC), which had control of the Northern region and was led by Ahmadu Bello; and the Action Group (AG), which had control of the Western region and was led by Obafemi Awolowo. No party won a majority during the elections, and the NPC joined with the NCNC to form the government. When independence arrived in 1960, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was made Prime Minister and Nnamdi Azikiwe was made Governor General.
In 1962, part of the Action group split off to form the Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP), led by S. I. Akintola. In 1963, the Mid-Western Region was formed from part of the Western Region. In 1963, Nigeria became a Federal Republic with Nnamdi Azikiwe as President. A great deal of controversy followed the 1963 population census, which the NCNC felt overestimated the number of people in the Northern Region, giving them a greater representation in the federal parliament. In January 1966, a group of Igbo army officials staged a coup d'etat to overthrow the government, killing Balewa, Bello and Akintola and placing General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi in charge of the new military government. He suspended the regional constitution, dissolved all legislative bodies, banned political parties and formed a Federal Military Government that was more central in nature.
There were strong suspicions that Aguiyi-Ironsi favoured the Igbo (Ibo) over other ethnic groups, fuelled by the fact that the military government did not prosecute the army officers responsible for killing the northern leaders. Many northerners saw the coup as a plot to make the Igbo dominant in Nigeria, and there was hostility from the Muslim population. Fighting broke out between the northerners and the Igbo, and in July 1966 a group of northern army officers revolted against the government, killed General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, and appointed the army Chief of Staff, General Yakubu Gowon, as head of the new military government. In 1967, Gowon moved to split the existing 4 regions of Nigeria into 12 states. The military governor of the Eastern Region, Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, refused to accept the division of the Eastern Region and declared that this region would become an independent republic, named Biafra. This led to a civil war between Biafra and the remainder of Nigeria. The war began in June 1967 and continued until Biafra surrendered on 15 January 1970. Over 1 million people died during the conflict.
Donated in 1974.
News summaries, press releases, press cuttings and publications, 1958-1971, from the period leading up to and including the Nigerian Civil War. The collection was the source material used by Suzanne Cronje for her book The world and Nigeria: the diplomatic history of the Biafran War 1967-1970 (London, 1972).
News summaries, press releases and press cuttings have been arranged in chronological order, as have publications, which are listed following the press items.
Unrestricted.
No publication without written permission. Apply to archivist in the first instance.
Material is in English, German, Italian and Dutch.
Unpublished handlist.
The School of Oriental and African Studies holds papers relating to Biafra (Ref: MS 380252), part of the Southern African Materials Project, and records of the Committee for Peace in Nigeria (Ref: MCF/CPN), part of the Movement for Colonial Freedom.
15 May 2000 Africa Balewa , Abubakar Tafawa , d 1966 , Nigerian politician Biafra Civil war Cronje , Suzanne , fl 1972 , author Foreign relations Internal politics International relations Military government Newly independent states Newspaper press Nigeria Nigerian Civil War (1967-1970) Ojukwu , Chukwuemeka Odumegwa , b 1933 , Nigerian General and secessionist Political leadership Political movements Political systems Politicians Press Press cuttings Self government West Africa
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Donated in 1974.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
News summaries, press releases, press cuttings and publications, 1958-1971, from the period leading up to and including the Nigerian Civil War. The collection was the source material used by Suzanne Cronje for her book The world and Nigeria: the diplomatic history of the Biafran War 1967-1970 (London, 1972).
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
News summaries, press releases and press cuttings have been arranged in chronological order, as have publications, which are listed following the press items.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Unrestricted.
Conditions governing reproduction
No publication without written permission. Apply to archivist in the first instance.
Language of material
- English
Script of material
- Latin
Language and script notes
Material is in English, German, Italian and Dutch.
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
The School of Oriental and African Studies holds papers relating to Biafra (Ref: MS 380252), part of the Southern African Materials Project, and records of the Committee for Peace in Nigeria (Ref: MCF/CPN), part of the Movement for Colonial Freedom.
Finding aids
Unpublished handlist.
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Publication note
Notes area
Note
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
- Political movements » Civil war
- International relations » Foreign relations
- Internal politics
- International relations
- Political systems » Newly independent states
- Press » Newspaper press
- Internal politics » Political leadership
- Political movements
- Political systems
- Internal politics » Political leadership » Politicians
- Press
- Press » Newspaper press » Press cuttings
- Political systems » Self government
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Language(s)
- English