HOW DID THE IGBOS RECOVERED SO FAST DESPITE FACING A LOT OF DEVASTATING EFFECTS IN 1967 - 1970?

Added: 2026-06-01

[00:00:01]I'm really surprised how the Ibos of the eastern part of Nigeria has managed to rebuild themselves, their economy, their infrastructure so well in just few decades despite facing a lot of devastating effect during the Nigerian-Biafran Civil War. Hello guys, welcome back to my YouTube channel. This is African Reality where I bring to you the realities of Africa. If you're new to this channel and you haven't subscribed, please do well to subscribe and turn on the notification bells so that you don't miss out on my next interesting video.

[00:00:33]As a Cameroonian living in Nigeria, there's something I've noticed about the Eastern part of Nigeria, especially the Ibo speaking community.

[00:00:43]We all know the Nigerian-Biafran War had a very devastating effect on the Eastern part of Nigeria more than any other region, especially the Ibos. Yeah, like they lost almost everything. They lost their families, they lost their businesses, they lost their money, they lost their infrastructures, like a lot.

[00:01:06]But guess what? These people after 19, um, after the war ended in 1970, they gradually built up themselves, their business, their infrastructures. And guess what?

[00:01:20]As of today, these people are leading Nigeria's commercial economy.

[00:01:25]So, the question is, how did they do it?

[00:01:30]Like, how did they do it in just these few decades?

[00:01:33]That should be like about 56 years.

[00:01:37]How these people how like, I don't even understand because it's so quick. It is so fast.

[00:01:46]Imagine, uh, before even before the Nigerian-Biafran Civil War, the Ibos, they had a very strong ground in the Nigerian's economy.

[00:01:53]I mean, they were already producing top people at that time, like Chinua Achebe, the first African to write a novel in literature in 1958. So, they were already an influential tribe in Africa before the Nigerian-Biafran Civil War took place in from 1967.

[00:02:13]So, after that In fact, the world thought these people would not be able to rise again because imagine, they lost everything.

[00:02:22]Starting again with 20 pounds and they've been able to build all these things you see today that to the extent that they are listed among the top richest states in Nigeria. They have the highest literacy rate in Nigeria.

[00:02:39]They are among the richest tribes in Africa.

[00:02:43]They are among the most educated tribes in Africa. Like, in fact, they're even topping.

[00:02:49]So, I'm really surprised like I feel like we Africans, we need to draw inspirations from the Ibos.

[00:02:55]Like, we need to ask them how did they do it? Like, they didn't do all this with gold, they didn't do it with diamond, they didn't do it with oil and gas. They did it with just trade.

[00:03:07]Yeah, trade.

[00:03:10]Look at cities like Enugu today. I mean, Enugu is competing with Abuja in terms of infrastructure development and beauty.

[00:03:18]Aba is dragging industrialization with Lagos.

[00:03:23]Onitsha is so commercialized that people leave other countries to do trade in Onitsha.

[00:03:30]Let me talk about Cameroon for instance.

[00:03:32]I mean, more Cameroonians trade in Aba and Onitsha more than they trade in any Cameroon city.

[00:03:39]Every day, hundreds of them move into Nigeria. That's Aba or Onitsha to buy goods and resell them in Cameroon. This was the same region that was declared dead after the Civil War.

[00:03:51]So, I'm still asking this question, how these people have with them managed to like rebuild their infrastructures, their economy so well that they are topping the the the richest state in Nigeria because you want to check, we see states like Imo State, Anambra State, Delta State, Rivers State, Akwa Ibom topping the top 10 richest states in Nigeria.

[00:04:16]This Those are states from the eastern region.

[00:04:21]Look at Aba today. Aba is like the China of Africa. We have a lot of made in Aba.

[00:04:29]Onitsha is like the most commercialized city in West Africa.

[00:04:34]There's a lot of commercialization going on in Onitsha than in any other West African city.

[00:04:42]So, I keep asking myself like the the Igbos how did they manage to to do all this so quickly?

[00:04:51]As of today, the eastern part of Nigeria is like more developed infrastructurally than many regions in Nigeria that didn't even experience what they experienced during that war. Yeah, I mean you cannot compare the southeast to the northern part of Nigeria.

[00:05:08]Take Lagos out of the southwest, you cannot compare the southeast to the southwest.

[00:05:13]Like these people in few years, they've emerged as a very important region in Nigeria's economy.

[00:05:23]I mean look at Enugu. Look at Owerri.

[00:05:26]Look at Onitsha. Look at Aba. Look at Umuahia. Look at Awka.

[00:05:31]Look at Abakaliki, the youngest of them all. I mean Abakaliki is like the youngest, but you cannot compare Ebonyi State to any northern state when it comes in terms of infrastructural development. This was the same state that was just recently created in 1994 or 1996.

[00:05:48]So, um even not just in Nigeria, even across Africa. In fact, there's a saying that goes like this, if you go to any place and you don't see the Ibos, you have to leave there because there's nothing there. So, these people, they are taking their their entrepreneurial mindset out of Nigeria, impacting global economy.

[00:06:08]Like for in Cameroon for instance, you see the Ibos excelling so well in all their trade. Like if you see them in your state or in your country, they are there, they are doing so well.

[00:06:21]Yeah, they are doing so well, ruling the business sectors.

[00:06:24]Not just in Africa, but even in other continents. You go to the US, you go to China, you go to Australia, these people are there doing businesses and they are doing it very well.

[00:06:38]Like I'm really surprised.

[00:06:42]I'm really I'm really I'm really surprised, honestly. Yeah, I'm not saying other parts of Nigeria did not experience a lot of devastating effect due to that war. Of course, they did.

[00:06:53]But, the one in the eastern part of Nigeria was so severe. Yeah, it was so severe. For those of you that read history, like I don't know, I read a lot of history and if you read about the Nigerian Biafran Civil War, like you are going to cry. Because it's like one of the worst civil war that Africa has ever experienced. Like it was devastating.

[00:07:19]And you know the shocking part of all these, these people, they were able to do all these uh rebuilding with limited help from the federal government. Yeah, I know most of you from the southwest or the north, they are going to come out to say something, but we have to be realistic to ourselves that if you look very well in the eastern part of Nigeria, you don't see a lot of federal government projects or infrastructures compared to what you see in the southwest or in the northern part. Even after they introduced the three Rs, even after Yakubu Gowon introduced the three Rs as a way of compensating the Ibos, but you don't see those infrastructures, you don't see that policy was not implemented. I feel like it was another scam to those people. Yeah, because you don't see a lot of federal government projects or infrastructures in the southeast.

[00:08:10]So, the three Rs were just on paper because they were not implemented.

[00:08:15]Aside from some few projects that were carried out, but these people, they came up with a community spirit. They built up their like in fact they are building up their region to become what the most developed so far in Nigeria. Yeah, it's the only region I've seen in Nigeria with a lot of beautiful developed cities. All of them booming in industrialization, commercialization, and real estates.

[00:08:41]Yeah, I know they have oil, Imo State has oil, but these people, they didn't like you know Nigeria is not practicing true federalism in the sense that those natural resources are not being controlled by the state, but instead they are still controlled by the federal government. So, I will not say they used oil or gas or any other mineral. So, they used their trade to develop their region to stand out infrastructurally and economically.

[00:09:08]Like look at their top in the like the least.

[00:09:12]The other day I I made a video about top 10 richest states in Nigeria, you saw it, and you see that most of these states are eastern states.

[00:09:19]This was the same region that was like complete almost completely destroyed few years ago.

[00:09:27]So, I keep asking myself, how did they do it? Like how are they doing it?

[00:09:34]And they've proven to Africa that they would have been better on their own without without Nigeria. Yeah, they've proven that because you see them doing all these without the help of the federal government. Like I'm not saying the federal government is not helping at all, but the way they're supposed to they are not. Yeah, we have to be realistic to ourselves.

[00:09:55]We need to be realistic to ourselves.

[00:09:59]So, even if they had succeeded during that they succeeded and they gained their independence, they would have been doing so well today even than the current Nigeria that it is today.

[00:10:11]Yeah, because these people like currently like they're the backbone of Nigeria's economy.

[00:10:18]All the the the money they send from abroad like mostly they're from the Igbos like another thing I've I I so much think like has really helped them to develop their um their infrastructure so fast or their economy so fast is this this year apprenticeship.

[00:10:37]That's what they do like they take a the young one train them after some few years they settle you and you start your own business again. And that's how their business keep their businesses keep expanding.

[00:10:50]And if you've noticed something, if you go to an Igbo Igbo man's shop to get something, if that man doesn't have it, he will not tell you that no, I don't have it go to the next shop. While instead he or she is going to tell you like wait, my brother has it. He runs to the brother and get it from the brother and give to you. And that's how they're building themselves. They have this community spirit that you will not find in any other part of Nigeria. Yeah, the Igbos they have this community spirit.

[00:11:17]They have this uh developed developed mindset or development mindset. They have this entrepreneurial spirit that that has helped them build up their economy so fast topping top regions in Africa.

[00:11:35]So, I'm really surprised. Like, I'm really I'm I'm I'm and at the same time I'm really impressed.

[00:11:42]Yeah, I'm really impressed.

[00:11:44]Aba today is a city booming in international trade. People leave other African countries to do trade in Aba.

[00:11:52]Let me not talk about the Ariaria International Market and the Onitsha Main Market, topping the list of some of Africa's largest market. These people built from scratch with just trade. They didn't build with oil or gas or die diamond or gold. They built from scratch with trade.

[00:12:12]So, I'm making this video like many people like don't understand what that actually means to start all over again after you might have like kind of reached to the top. You have to start again from the scratch. That's something that most people don't really know about the Igbos. Like, I feel like we Africans, we need to draw inspirations from these people. We need to make them our friends. Like, ask them, "How are you people doing it?"

[00:12:40]Like, because I'm really surprised. I'm surprised.

[00:12:44]Even if in in the outside Nigeria, they're even doing so well that even the citizens of that country. Like, I'm over surprised. Like, how are these people doing it?

[00:12:57]So, they have this development mindset.

[00:13:00]Yeah, they have this development mindset that home is home. Wherever they are, even if they they build a building there, they make sure that they build more than that in their own hometown.

[00:13:14]That's why you see a lot of mansions popping every day in the eastern part of Nigeria. I mean, look at Onitsha. Look at Enugu. They have a lot of impressive estate. Look at the Independence Layout in Enugu or New Haven. A lot of impressive estates. These people, they are building it by themselves.

[00:13:33]That's the definition of self-development and self-reliance.

[00:13:38]You said, "No, I don't need to depend on anybody. We can do this on our own." And they are doing it.

[00:13:44]The one that surprises me more is Ebonyi State.

[00:13:48]Look at Abakaliki today. Oh my gosh.

[00:13:52]Look at Abakaliki.

[00:13:55]Abakaliki is beating states of the first republic, second republic. Like it's just among the last set of states that were created. But look at Abakaliki, the capital, today.

[00:14:07]Look at that.

[00:14:11]This was a region that was that was declared dead after that incident in 1967 to 1970.

[00:14:18]Nobody thought that they would like they would rise to this point.

[00:14:22]Nobody thought.

[00:14:25]Like how did they do it?

[00:14:30]So, they if one would talk about Nigerianness, you want to talk about true Nigerianness, I think like the Ibos, they they showcase more Nigerianness than any other tribe in Nigeria. Yeah, because for me, I think Nigerians are defined by their resilience, their hard work. They are defined by the mindset of never giving up, no matter how hard it gets.

[00:14:55]So, I think like if you want to define that Nigerianness in Nigeria, the people you have to use are the Ibos because they showcase the true Nigerianness than any other tribe in Nigeria.

[00:15:07]Yeah, and that's it.

[00:15:09]I'm not trying to look down on any other region or any other tribe, but I'm I'm just like stating what I've noticed in the few years I've lived in Nigeria.

[00:15:19]I mean, you need to visit this part of Nigeria, the eastern part. You need to visit places like Look at Enugu. Look at Owerri.

[00:15:27]Look at Onitsha. Look at Aba, the China of Africa.

[00:15:32]Look at Abakaliki. Look at Umuahia. Look at Awka, one state having like two massive cities. This is something that many African countries do not even have.

[00:15:41]They only have one city. But you go to Anambra, you see places like Onitsha, you see the capital, Awka.

[00:15:47]You go to Abia. Small Abia. Abia that was just created recently, 1991.

[00:15:53]You see Umuahia. You see Aba.

[00:15:56]So, I feel like Nigerians should come together and ask the Igbo Learn from the Igbo because I feel like they have this thing that can move Nigeria to the next height within few years.

[00:16:10]Yeah, they have it. And we are seeing it in their region. We are seeing it in their cities.

[00:16:15]We are even seeing it in the diaspora.

[00:16:18]They take it there. They establish there. They They They They contribute.

[00:16:22]In fact, there's no tribe in Africa that contributes so much to global economy than the Igbos. Because wherever they are, they pay taxes, they pay rents, they contribute to the local economy.

[00:16:34]They contribute to the local economy.

[00:16:37]That's indirectly contributing to the global economy.

[00:16:42]Which other tribe or which other region in Africa is doing what these people are doing?

[00:16:50]So, I really want you to like draw your inspiration from the Igbos. Yeah, draw inspirations from them. How they've been able to achieve all these.

[00:17:02]The Igbos are a testament that giving up is never an option.

[00:17:07]Yeah, giving up is never an option. And I'm using these people as my source of inspiration.

[00:17:14]And I'm also using them as a source of motivation. Like that if you're having a hard time, you don't need to give up.

[00:17:21]You should be like the Ibos.

[00:17:23]You should be like the Ibos of the 1970s.

[00:17:26]How they rebuilt themselves. Ah, look at today. They have people like Tony did this this CEO of UBA. Tony Elumelu, something like that. We look like Chimamanda Adichie.

[00:17:44]Look at musicians like Phyno, Ome Messi Chinko, and a lot of people, celebrities popping up from this same region.

[00:17:55]So, I think like Nigerians should come together and ask the Ibos, "How are you people doing it?" Because there's no other region in Nigeria doing it better than them.

[00:18:09]There's not you can Look at you can How dare you can't even compare the northern part of Nigeria to the eastern part of Nigeria. I mean this is the same northern part that has a very strong political influence. They've been ruling the country ever since.

[00:18:22]But in terms of infrastructure development, there's no city in the north that you can compare to Enugu.

[00:18:28]Yeah, there's no city in the north that you can compare to Owerri, not Kano, not Kaduna. Let me not talk of the Sokoto, the Zamfara, or the Katsina.

[00:18:38]You cannot even compare those ones with Ebonyi State.

[00:18:44]Then coming coming to the southwest, like I said, you take Lagos out of southwest, you cannot compare the southwest to the southeast.

[00:18:52]Yeah, you cannot compare You cannot compare in terms of commerce, you cannot compare in terms of industrialization, you cannot compare in terms of infrastructure. You cannot.

[00:19:02]So, I really think like Nigerians should come together and ask the Ibos, we not just Nigerians, Africans.

[00:19:11]Wherever you see the Igbos in your country, in your state, try to go closer to them. Try to discover how these people are doing it.

[00:19:19]Right now, they rule every business sector in Nigeria.

[00:19:22]Not just in Nigeria, they're spreading it across Africa.

[00:19:26]From provision to raw material, import and export, these people are excelling.

[00:19:32]Nigeria's first automaker is located in Anambra State, Nnewi. That's Innoson.

[00:19:38]That's Nigeria's first automaker.

[00:19:40]They're exporting cars to other African countries, including countries like Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, and all over Nigeria. When I like I used to see a lot of their their vehicle, like I'm really excited. I was like, "Oh, look at this same region that was declared dead. Look at Look at what they are doing."

[00:19:59]So, I think like the Igbos like they showcase the true Nigerianness than any other region or any other tribe in Nigeria. And I think like Nigerians should come together or Nigeria should come together and ask them, "Igbos, how are you people doing it?"

[00:20:19]Yeah, how are they How are they doing it?

[00:20:22]How did they manage to rebuild their region so fast in just few decades after facing Like, do you know what these people faced?

[00:20:31]They lost almost everything. Yeah, everything.

[00:20:35]They had to start again with like 20 pounds.

[00:20:39]Yeah, just 20 pounds because a lot of Biafrans that saved their money under the Nigerian bank, their money were like they were taken down by the federal government of Nigeria. And in as a way of compensation, they had to like give them 20 20 pounds. So, imagine someone that had like a million pounds or thousand pounds, and you're being compensated with just 20 pounds. That's what these people used to start all over again. And I'm really impressed. Like Igbos, you people are my source of inspiration. Like, I really Like, even when I'm down, I just remember that history, I feel like, "No, I don't need to give up. I need to stand and work and succeed."

[00:21:20]And that's what defines them.

[00:21:23]And they've proven it to Africa that they can do absolutely well on their own.

[00:21:28]I don't think that they necessarily need Nigeria, but Nigeria needs the Igbos more than the Igbos need Nigeria.

[00:21:38]So, let me know what you think about the Igbos of Nigeria in the comment section.

[00:21:42]What do you think? Like, how these people what other factor do you think these people they've used to develop themselves, their region, their economy, their infrastructures, their literacy rate? Yeah, Imo State is like the Imo State has the highest so far in Nigeria. The Igbos they're like 76% of them are educated. They have a very high literacy rate, followed by the Ibibios. Yeah, I think like the Igbos are first and the Ibibios are second according to recent data.

[00:22:13]So, you need to see that these people they've been they've they they are doing this or they've been doing this by themselves with limited support from the federal government.

[00:22:23]And that's why we see it and I will say it again like Nigeria needs them more more than they need Nigeria.

[00:22:33]And that's just it. So, let me know what you think about this uh Igbos in the eastern part of Nigeria in the comment section.

[00:22:39]And thank you for watching today. If you haven't subscribed to my YouTube channel, please do well to subscribe to my YouTube channel and turn on the notification bell. I have a lot of interesting videos to share with you covering Africa. And also, if you The aim of this video is not to like look down on any region or any tribe, please.

[00:22:59]Before you start com- uh you start making a lot of negative comments in the comment section. It's not to look down on any tribe or any region. I'm just appreciating the resilience of the Ibos people of Eastern Nigeria. And that's it. Thank you for watching till the end.