Nigerian nationalism most serious threat to the Nigerian unity since Nigeria became independent in 1960, as other ethnic groups threatened that they too would also seek secession should Biafra successfully secede. Nigeria responded to the separatist threat with a military campaign against the Biafran government, resulting in the Nigerian Civil War from 1967 to 1970. The war ended with the defeat of the Biafran separatists. Between one and three million Nigerians died in the war. The 19th century did not witness the emergence of any political organization that could help in airing the grievances and expressing the aspirations of Nigerians on a
United National Independence Party (Nigeria) United National Independence Party (Nigeria) The United National Independence Party (UNIP) was a Nigerian political party formed in the mid-1950s. It was made up of a group of N.C.N.C members who were opposed to some of the policies of Nnamdi Azikiwe and had formed the National Independence Party. In 1954, the National Independence Party merged with Alvan Ikoku's United National Party to form the United National Independence Party. The party was one of the few prominent and fairly popular groups that emerged to challenge Azikiwe and N.C.N.C in the Eastern region of Nigeria. Before the formation of UNIP, the Eastern