@historylovers_001: Azikiwe’s Break with Biafra: The London Declaration of Thursday, August 28, 1969. On Thursday, August 28, 1969. in London, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Nigeria’s first President and one of the country’s founding leaders, held an important press conference at the Nigerian High Commission. Standing beside Brigadier Babafemi Ogundipe (retired), who was Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, and other officials, Azikiwe spoke to journalists about ending the Nigerian Civil War. He said the time had come to stop the fighting between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the breakaway state of Biafra. Azikiwe announced that he would soon return to Nigeria. He said he believed that his people,the Igbos,could live safely in a united Nigeria. He pointed out that many Igbo people who lived outside the Biafran region were already living “safe and secure in their persons and property.” This speech was a big change for Azikiwe. He explained that from February to August 1968, he had been kept under house arrest by Biafra’s leader, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu. Azikiwe had once worked closely with Ojukwu and supported Biafra’s cause. But during his time in detention, he said he began to doubt whether Biafra’s struggle was the right path. Azikiwe’s message in London was meant to encourage peace and convince other Igbos to think about ending the war. By speaking in London, Nigeria’s former colonial capital, he wanted the world to see that reconciliation was still possible. History is important because it reminds us where we are coming from and helps us make better choices for the future. Having a history platform is valuable for our nation because it keeps these stories alive, teaches us lessons from the past, and unites us with a shared understanding of who we are. #Historylovers

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Wednesday 16 July 2025 10:59:59 GMT