Former President Olusegun Obasanjo says Nigeria would probably not have won the civil war without support from neighbouring Niger Republic.
Speaking as a guest on ‘Soni Irabor Live’ which aired on News Central, Obasanjo said during the war, Nigeria received materials through Niger Republic for Nigerian troops.
The Nigerian civil war began on July 6, 1967 and ended on January 15, 1970.
The former head of state lamented the manner in which the Nigerian government treated Niger Republic after the country was taken over by military leaders — who ousted Mohamed Bazoum as democratically elected president on July 26, 2023.
Obasanjo faulted the Nigerian government’s decision to cut off electricity to Niger Republic after the coup despite the role played by the country in the construction of the Kainji Dam.
The ex-military ruler said Nigeria has lost its authority in influencing and impacting policies and happenings in Africa.
He reminisced on how Nigeria, under the military regime, assisted Angola and South Africa in the fight against colonialism and apartheid.
He recalled how Nigeria handed Angola $20 million to assist the country in the fight for independence in the 1970s.
“Let me put it mildly. Today, Nigeria is not at the table. What is happening that Nigeria is influencing or impacting or upon whom Nigeria is impacting?” he asked.
“Look at the way we have handled ECOWAS, something that took us 50 years to build. Overnight, we mishandled it. We have virtually destroyed it.
“Niger Republic had a coup. They are our neighbours. The truth is this — at least 30 percent of the people in Niger Republic have a good relationship with Nigeria.
“When we were building the Kainji Dam… if Niger Republic builds another dam, there won’t be Kaniji Dam. So we told Niger Republic, for electricity, we will give you whatever you ask for. That is our obligation on our part.
“Three, without Niger Republic, winning the civil war would have been hard. We used to get materials through Niger Republic to be ferried to our troops in the warfront.
“For all of these, then they had a coup, the first thing we did was to close the borders, and the next thing, cut off their electricity.”
Obasanjo was Nigeria’s military head of state from 1976 to 1979 and civilian president from 1999 to 2007.
