Undead Past: What Drives Support for the Secessionist Goal of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in Nigeria?

This study examined the effect of ethnic marginalization and socioeconomic condition on support for secession among members of the Igbo ethnic group in Nigeria’s Eastern Region. Perceived ethnic marginalization at the group level was found to positively correlate with support for secession. Socioeconomic condition was measured at the individual, household, and communal levels. The individual and household measures had no effect on support for secession, but the communal measure did. However, the results contravened the prediction of the Horizontal Inequalities (HIs) theory: improvements in socioeconomic condition at the communal level rather increased the likelihood of supporting secession. The analysis also showed that compared to non-Igbos, members of the Igbo ethnic group were 11 percent more likely to choose the “strongly agree” response category when asked whether Nigeria’s Eastern Region should be allowed to secede.