successful Biafra

Any way Biafra could win the Nigerian civil war

What would be the impact of successful Biafra on the rest of Nigeria and would it encourage other ethnic separatist movements in Africa

Would Britain Retaliate by supporting rebels in France's sphere of influence in west Africa
 

Deleted member 94680

Have the Biafran government more tolerant of minorities, producing a more unified population?

Somehow avoid the fall of Port Harcourt, preventing the blockade and starvation tactics of the Nigerian government?
 
It would make West African regional politics even more interesting.

Also, I wonder what kind of relationship Biafra would have with the Nigerian rump state? I imagine it'll be similar to the relationship that exists between India and Pakistan in OTL.

It will also complicate matters for other African countries. A successful breakaway state based around an ethnic group might encourage separatist movements around the continent.
 

Deleted member 67076

Biafra would be a Gulf State in Western Africa. Its economy would be at first dominated by oil, and most of its hard currency spent om importing food. First revenues would go towards building modern infrastructure and high end social spending like that of Egypt. Nigeria did have plans for increased social spending funded by oil; here it should be more successful given the smaller area and target population.

Hard to say what happens next; the 70s oil shock should have it flush with money but will likely cause Dutch Disease. The extra money, spent on a smaller area and a smaller population (almost certainly smaller than OTL by 2017 due to better family planning and education) would lead to greater social development but not necessarily a greater econony.

Best case scenario I could see it turn into a major regional financial and service hub, with an additionally respectable manufacturing sector. Agriculture is screwed even with outrages subsidies; area just has too many swamps and dry grasslands.
 
Get the US on their side? Maybe the Soviets? I don't know how but those are the only way at that time that I can think of. .
 
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Currently, Nigeria is suffering from massive regional disparities. Like most nations with straight borders, those borders were drawn by long-dead white guys who had never walked the land nor sailed the rivers. Far too often European colonists drew borders that forced three or more tribes to coexist in an artificial country.

The Northern Nigerian desert is mostly Muslim and plagued by Bomo Haram.
Meanwhile the southern coastal swamps are underlaid with massive oil reserves. However, traditional fishermen and swamp-dwellers complain of pollution and poverty as oil revenues only benefit urban elites.

If Biafrans had been able to seize oil reserves circa 1960, the Ibos would have been far to wealthy for the Nigerian Army to re-conquer.
 
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