A group of Igbo clergymen under the banner of the Igbo Ministers Commission has attributed the self-determination campaign led by detained Biafra agitator, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, to the failure of the 1914 amalgamation of Nigeria’s Northern and Southern protectorates.
According to the clerics, Nigeria’s creation by the British colonial administration was not founded on mutual agreement, but rather on administrative and economic convenience, ignoring deep-seated ethnic, religious, and cultural differences.
In a statement issued Tuesday in Abuja, and signed by Rev. Tony Uzo Anthony (President General) and Apostle Tony Osi (Secretary General), the ministers called for a peaceful, inclusive national dialogue to redefine the country’s future.
“The agitation for self-determination, as championed by Onyendu Mazi Nnamdi Kanu through IPOB, highlights a fundamental truth: Nigeria’s 1914 formation was not a consensual union but a colonial construct forced by Britain,” the statement read.
The group criticized Lord Frederick Lugard’s amalgamation for disregarding the stark differences between the North and South, resulting in a fragile union that has struggled with cohesion for over a century.
“The North, grounded in feudalism and indirect rule, and the South, shaped by Western education and urbanization, were set on divergent paths that bred mistrust and inequality. Post-independence leaders failed to bridge these divides, instead exploiting them for political gain,” the statement continued.
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The clerics warned that unless Nigeria confronts the structural flaws of its foundation, the dream of unity will remain elusive.
“We urge Nigerians to engage in a sincere dialogue to define the kind of country—or countries—they truly want, based on mutual respect, justice, and shared humanity. Pretending that all is well only delays an inevitable reckoning,” they said.
