African Peace Initiatives to Avert the Nigerian Civil War: Aburi Accord and The Prospects for Peace

• Author(s): Ighodalo Joseph EJEMHEARE, PhD
• Paper ID: 1707964
• Page: 883-889
• Published Date: 24-04-2025
• Published In: Iconic Research And Engineering Journals
• Publisher: IRE Journals
• e-ISSN: 2456-8880
• Volume/Issue: Volume 8 Issue 10 April-2025

Abstract

There were a series of peace moves to avert the Nigerian civil war. There were efforts by eminent Nigerians, like leading Obas from the Western region and the National Conciliation Committee, to resolve the conflict. The Organization of African Unity (OAU) intervened to resolve the dispute. Of all the efforts to resolve the conflict, the Aburi Accord, which took place in Ghana at the behest of Ghana's military head of state, General Joseph Arthur Ankrah, between 4 and 5 January 1967, stands out. It stands out because an agreement was reached at the Aburi that was agreeable to both parties. At the peace meeting, extensive negotiation occurred between the Nigerian Government led by Major General Yakubu Gowon and the Biafran delegation led by Col. Odumegwu Ojukwu. At the end of the diplomatic peace talk to resolve the Nigerian conflict, the parties finally signed the Aburi Accord, which declared that a looser Nigerian federation or Confederal Government would be implemented. On this note, this paper examines the Aburi Accord and the prospects for peace. The report found out that the Nigerian Government reneged on the Accord, and this was a significant factor in the outbreak of the Nigerian civil war. The paper used a qualitative method of research. The paper concludes that if both parties had adhered to the Aburi Accord, the war would have been averted at the time.

Citations

IRE Journals:
Ighodalo Joseph EJEMHEARE, PhD "African Peace Initiatives to Avert the Nigerian Civil War: Aburi Accord and The Prospects for Peace" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals Volume 8 Issue 10 2025 Page 883-889

IEEE:
Ighodalo Joseph EJEMHEARE, PhD "African Peace Initiatives to Avert the Nigerian Civil War: Aburi Accord and The Prospects for Peace" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals, 8(10)