1970 Civic Education Service Map of Nigeria

Published only six weeks after the Nigerian Civil War, this is a 1970 Civic Education Service map of Nigeria. Major cities are labeled throughout, with several highlighted in secessionist Biafra.

The Nigerian Civil War and This Map

Biafra, outlined here in the lower right portion of Nigeria, seceded from Nigeria on July 6, 1967, igniting a Civil War. Home to some 300 different cultural and ethnic groups, may historical enemies, Nigerian politics were more often than not partisan and corrupt. Biafrans refused to coexist within the federal government that was dominated by a Northern ethnic group, a traditional cultural enemy. This division led to a series of coups and the persecution of the northern Nigerian Igbo people, the ethnic group of which the vast majority of Biafrans were a part. By 1968, the brutality of the war and the blockade imposed by the Nigerian federal forces created a humanitarian crisis, which drew the attention of the Western world. The refugee crisis, illustrated here by photographs of Biafrans walking along a road and the crowded streets of Lagos, and the subsequent famine, garnered headlines around the world. Non-governmental organizations responded to the global outcry to help the starving Biafran children. A text along the right border presents some of General Yakuba Gowon's plans for bringing the country together after the brutality. A portrait of Major General Gowan is situated near Lagos, with a text highlighting his desire to maintain the unity of his country. An inset map in the lower left highlights the Biafran leader's exile to Ivory Coast following the end of the conflict.

Pictorial Vignettes

Aside from providing a short summary of the events of the Civil War, pictorial vignettes highlight important Nigerian industries, including the lumber industry, the export of peanuts and cocoa, the mining of columbite (used to make heat-resistant steel for jet engines), and leather work and other cottage industries. A vignette in northern Nigeria highlights the Great Mosque of Kano, which was originally built in the 15th century. It was moved from its original site in 1582 and rebuilt in the mid 19th century. It was destroyed in the 1950s and rebuilt under British sponsorship.

Publication History and Census

This map was created and published by the Civic Education Service in 1970 and was created for use in classrooms across the United States. Even so, today this map appears to be very rare, as it is not catalogued in the OCLC and has not previously appeared on the private market.