ABSTRACT
The chapter argues that memories of the Biafran war cannot be easily wished away by the Nigerian state and will always colour the imaginations of its role by people from the former Biafran enclave. Thus, in spite of the fact that the war is hardly recognized in formal state discourse, recollections of the war, especially by those in the southeast of the country, are still a relevant social barometer for measuring government actions and policies. There is a predominant perception in this area that it suffers socio-political marginalization as a result of having lost the war in a largely ethnicized Nigerian state. The memories of the war have generated narratives of liberation that have favoured social groups in the oil rich Niger Delta that have appropriated these narratives in their struggle against the Nigerian state. Thus the collective remembrance of the war gives free rein to imaginations of marginalization and negatively impact on intergroup relationships, thereby undermining social cohesion in Nigeria. The chapter argues that there is need for constructive engagement with the war memories in order to foster closure for individuals and groups affected by it and to facilitate social cohesion in Nigeria.
