Biafra was an UNPO member between 2019 and 2024. 

Biafra was represented by the Biafra Independence Movement–Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (BIM-MASSOB), a non-violent secessionist organisation founded in 1999 by lawyer Ralph Uwazuruike. The organisation aimed to restore the independence of the southeastern region of Nigeria, which declared itself the Republic of Biafra in 1967, a move that led to a brutal civil war ending in 1970 with significant losses and lasting impact. 

Despite the end of the conflict, many Igbos and other ethnic groups in the region continue to face systemic political and economic marginalisation within the Nigerian state. Persistent issues include underrepresentation in federal politics, discriminatory allocation of resources, neglect of infrastructures, and limited access to employment opportunities. Additionally, there have been frequent crackdowns on pro-Biafrana activists, with reports of arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial killings, and restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly—raising serious human rights concerns. The memory of the civil war, coupled with continued social-political exclusion and inter-ethnic tensions, fuels a sense of historical injustice and drives calls for self-determination.

The cultural identity of Biafra is primarily associated with the Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria. The Igbo are one of Nigeria’s largest ethnic groups, known for their rich cultural traditions, language, and social organisation. Their society is traditionally organised around kinship, communal living, and a system of self-governance through village assemblies and councils of elders. 

The Biafran identity gained international attention during the Nigerian Civil War, the southeastern region attempted to secede as the Republic of Biafra. This period was marked by significant hardship, including widespread famine and conflict, which have had lasting effects on collective memory and identity. Since the end of the war, the cultural identity of the region has been intertwined with efforts to preserve Igbo language, traditions, and political autonomy. 

Cultural practices such as the New Yam Festival (Iri Ji), traditional music and dance, masquerades, and vibrant crafts remain important aspects of Igbo life. The Igbo language is a core element of cultural identity, with numerous dialects spoken throughout the region. The people of Biafra continue to emphasise education, entrepreneurship, and community solidarity as key values.

Biafra refers to the southeastern region of Nigeria, historically home to the Igbo and other ethnic groups such as the Ijaw, Ibibio, and Efik. Before colonialism, the region was made up of decentralised, autonomous communities with established systems of trade and governance. However, in 1914, the British colonial administration forcibly amalgamated the culturally distinct Northern and Southern Protectorates into a single entity (Nigeria) without regard for ethnic or political differences. After independence in 1960, ethnic tensions escalated due to political marginalisation, resource control disputes, and economic inequalities. These tensions erupted into violence in 1966, when tens of thousands of Igbos were massacred in northern Nigeria, prompting over a million to flee to the Eastern Region. 

In May 1967, Eastern military governor Colonel Odumegwu Ojukwu declared the independence of the Republic of Biafra. The Nigerian government rejected the secession, leading to the Nigerian Civil War (1967-70). The conflict caused catastrophic humanitarian suffering, with an estimated 1 to 2 million Biafrans, many of them children, dying from starvation due to a federal blockade. After Biafra’s surrender in 1970, the region was reintegrated into Nigeria, but promises of reconciliation were followed by continued political, economic, and infrastructural marginalisation. Many Biafrans feel justice was never served for the atrocities committed during the war. To this day, unresolved grievances over self-determination, inequality, and historical trauma continue to fuel calls for Biafran independence.