Unpublished Research on the Nigerian Civil War in the Nigerian Defence Academy and Other Nigerian Universities

Abstract

Most of the literature on the Nigerian Civil War is overwhelmingly on the cause or causes, effects and outcome of the war. There are few accounts of battle operations at important theatres of war. The Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) has taken a lead in historicising and documenting this missing operational aspect of the war. Academic research elsewhere in Nigeria has concentrated on other aspects of the war. Since important findings lie hidden and fallow in unpublished theses and dissertations in various universities of Nigeria; they remain unnoticed and unharnessed. Studies at NDA, which focus mainly on the operations of both armies, contain specific operational details about the war not available in earlier works. Such studies are deepening understanding of the military engagements of the thirty-month long civil war.