Southeastern Nigeria
Encyclopedia
Southeastern Nigeria consists of present Abia State
, Akwa Ibom State, Anambra State
, Bayelsa State
, Cross River State
, Ebonyi State
, Enugu State
, Imo State
, and Rivers State
of Nigeria.
, Ijaw, Ibibio, Efik, Ekoi
, etc. Although these groups mostly had democratic systems of government, there were several kingdoms. Some of these kingdoms such as the Kingdom of Nri
, Akwa Akpa
(Calabar), Aro Confederacy
, Opobo
etc. had considerable influence in the region. The region was diverse, yet the groups mostly lived in peaceful coexistence.
After two coups, a series of massacres orchestrated by Northern Muslim
s against Eastern Nigerians living in Northern Nigeria took place in 1966 which resulted in the Eastern region declaring the independent state of Biafra
in May 1967 and eventually the Nigerian Civil War
(1967-1970). After three years of tenacious resistance, Biafra was defeated.
Abia State
Abia State is a state in southeastern Nigeria. The capital is Umuahia, although the major commercial city is Aba, formerly a British colonial government outpost. The state was created in 1991 from part of Imo State and its citizens are predominantly Igbo people...
, Akwa Ibom State, Anambra State
Anambra State
Anambra is a state in south-eastern Nigeria. Its name is an anglicized version of the original 'Oma Mbala', the native name of the Anambra River. The Capital and the Seat of Government is Awka. Onitsha and Nnewi are the biggest commercial and industrial cities, respectively. The state's theme is...
, Bayelsa State
Bayelsa State
Bayelsa State is a state in southern Nigeria in the core Niger Delta region, between Delta State and Rivers State. Its capital is Yenagoa. The language spoken here is Ijaw language and dialects of the Ijaw language such as Nembe, Atissa, Akassa, Ogbia, etc. However, like the rest of Nigeria,...
, Cross River State
Cross River State
Cross River State is a coastal state in southeastern Nigeria, bordering Cameroon to the east. Its capital is at Calabar, and it is named for the Cross River , which passes through the state...
, Ebonyi State
Ebonyi State
Ebonyi State is a mainland south-eastern state of Nigeria, inhabited and populated primarily by Igbo of south eastern Nigeria. Its capital and largest city is Abakaliki. Afikpo is the second largest city. Other major towns are EDDA, Mgbo, Onueke, Ezzamgbo, Nkalagu, Uburu, Onicha, Ishiagu , Ukawu,...
, Enugu State
Enugu State
Enugu State is a mainland state in southeastern Nigeria. Its capital is Enugu, from which the state - created in 1991 from the old Anambra State - derives its name. The principal cities in the state are Enugu, Agbani, Awgu, Udi, Oji, and Nsukka....
, Imo State
Imo State
Imo State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria and lies to the south of Nigeria with Owerri as its capital and largest city.-History:Imo State came into existence in 1976 along with other new states created under the leadership of the late military ruler of Nigeria, Murtala Muhammad, having been...
, and Rivers State
Rivers State
Rivers State is one of the 36 states of Nigeria. Its capital is Port Harcourt. It is bounded on the South by the Atlantic Ocean, to the North by Imo, Abia and Anambra States, to the East by Akwa Ibom State and to the West by Bayelsa and Delta states...
of Nigeria.
"Precolonial" era
Before Nigeria became a country through British colonial government, what is now known as Southeastern Nigeria was home to many ethnic groups such as the IgboIgbo people
Igbo people, also referred to as the Ibo, Ebo, Eboans or Heebo are an ethnic group living chiefly in southeastern Nigeria. They speak Igbo, which includes various Igboid languages and dialects; today, a majority of them speak English alongside Igbo as a result of British colonialism...
, Ijaw, Ibibio, Efik, Ekoi
Ekoi
"Ekoi" or "Ejagham" may refer to:* Ekoi people, a group of people found in south-eastern Nigeria, also known as Ejagham* Ekoid languages, the language spoken by the Ekoi people of south-eastern Nigeria* Ekoi mythology...
, etc. Although these groups mostly had democratic systems of government, there were several kingdoms. Some of these kingdoms such as the Kingdom of Nri
Kingdom of Nri
The Kingdom of Nri was the West African medieval state of the Nri-Igbo, a subgroup of the Igbo people, and is the oldest kingdom in Nigeria. The Kingdom of Nri was unusual in the history of world government in that its leader exercised no military power over his subjects...
, Akwa Akpa
Akwa Akpa
Akwa Akpa, known to colonialists as Old Calabar or Duke Town was an Efik city-state that flourished in the 19th century in what is now southeastern Nigeria.Although absorbed into Nigeria, traditional rulers of the state are still recognized....
(Calabar), Aro Confederacy
Aro Confederacy
The Aro Confederacy was a political union orchestrated by the Igbo subgroup, the Aro people, centered in Arochukwu in present day Southeastern Nigeria. Their influence and presence was across Eastern Nigeria into parts of the Niger Delta and Southern Igala during the 18th and 19th centuries...
, Opobo
Opobo
Opobo is a traditional state in southern Nigeria. The state was founded in 1870.A part of the traditional state is now Ikot-Abasi in Akwa Ibom State.-History:...
etc. had considerable influence in the region. The region was diverse, yet the groups mostly lived in peaceful coexistence.
Colonial era
British conquest of the region in the early 20th century negatively affected the relationship between the various Southeastern groups as they engaged in unhealthy competition for British jobs.Nigerian–Biafran War
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s against Eastern Nigerians living in Northern Nigeria took place in 1966 which resulted in the Eastern region declaring the independent state of Biafra
Biafra
Biafra, officially the Republic of Biafra, was a secessionist state in south-eastern Nigeria that existed from 30 May 1967 to 15 January 1970, taking its name from the Bight of Biafra . The inhabitants were mostly the Igbo people who led the secession due to economic, ethnic, cultural and religious...
in May 1967 and eventually the Nigerian Civil War
Nigerian Civil War
The Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Nigerian-Biafran War, 6 July 1967–15 January 1970, was a political conflict caused by the attempted secession of the southeastern provinces of Nigeria as the self-proclaimed Republic of Biafra...
(1967-1970). After three years of tenacious resistance, Biafra was defeated.