Project Description

CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND INFORMATION
National interests are those important goals that are significant to the survival of states. National interest has been defined by statesmen and scholars as the goals and aspiration of a sovereign entity (ies) in its interaction with other states within the international system.
The term national interest is a controversial concept in the international system because a state has variegated goals and purpose given their different views within the international system. The common interest could be security, protection of human rights of citizens, economy, national sovereignty, military, technological advancement and the welfare of the entire nation state. Since national interests are important to state for their survival, states therefore relate with one another for survival meaning that, in the international system there is has no permanent friend, no permanent enemy. This study therefore examines the interest of states like Britain, France, Russia and the United State during the Nigeria civil war (1967-1970) which broke out between the Nigeria military government and the Biafra government.
This study, focuses briefly on the historical development of Nigeria and how it was colonized by the British for its selfish interest, as well as the history of political development in Nigeria; how it led to an unhealthy rivalry among ethnic groups, as well as the remote and immediate causes of the civil war.
Furthermore, it is important to know that some domestic wars attract international response which involves the external powers and could be seen as an opportunity to attain their interest.

This study therefore focuses discuss on the Great powers‟ involvement and the link between their interests and the civil war in Nigeria.
Nigeria, which is said to be „homogeneous‟, ( Madiebo A.A, 1980) “ The Nigerian revolution and the Biafra war” is not really what it is due to different ethnic groups and administrative set up, the only thing they had in common is the name of the country which was an insufficient basis for true unity. This obvious fact notwithstanding, the former colonial master decided to amalgamate the country in order to have effectively control over its vital resources for British economic interests. All these led to hatred, rivalry, and pronounced disparity in development. It is this struggle that eventually degenerated into coup, counter coup and a bloody civil war.
The Nigeria civil war broke out on 6 July 1967 and did not end until January, 15 1970. The war which was as a result of an uneasy peace, suspicion and instability can be traced to a chain of events beginning with the 1964 general election and 1965 Western Region crisis to the secession of Eastern Nigeria that affected the nation. The causes of the civil war in Nigeria can be classified into two groups which are; the remote causes and the immediate causes.
Firstly, the remote causes of the war are; the inability to conduct a free and fair election which witnessed massive rigging. The act of rigging and the subsequent reaction to it led to the breakdown of law and order that resulted from the electoral malpractices which prepared the ground for army to take over which resulted in the events that contributed to the civil war.
Another factor, was the January 15, 1966 coup d‟état which was tagged the Igbo coup this was because most of the casualties were Northerners and Westerners compared to the Easterners and it was said by some scholars that none of the civilians killed were Igbo or from the East. This led to the allegation that the Igbo‟s wanted to dominate and colonize other ethnic groups.

1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
This study is about the civil war and the Extra-African interests. Since some domestic conflict involves international response, the civil war in Nigeria was not an exception. This was because it involved the great powers and other African countries with the use of various strategies to achieve their interests, and such interests can be linked to the war as some supported the Biafrans while others supported the Federal Military government. And also, that most African country believes in the involvement of Great powers for peace.

As such, this study focuses on studying the interests of other states during national conflict using the Nigerian Civil War as a linkage perspective.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF STUDY
 To examine the roles played by the Great powers; strategies and interests as a link to the civil war.
 To examine the involvement of Great powers in the Nigerian civil war
 To analyse the interests of Great powers in the Nigeria‟s project.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1. What were the specific roles played by the Great powers in the Nigerian civil war
2. What motivated the Great powers‟ involvement and how did external role shape the outcome of the war
1.5 RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS
1 H1- the specific roles played by the Great powers and strategies applied were for their own national interests.
 Ho- the specific roles played by the Great powers and strategies applied were not for their own national interests.
2 H1- the Nigerian civil war motivated the Great powers‟ involvement which shaped the outcome of the civil war
 Ho- the Nigerian civil war never motivated the Great powers‟ involvement and didn‟t shape the outcome of the civil war

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY
This study is of importance as it will make the readers aware of interests of states, and clashes of interest both at the domestic level and the international level linked to the war.
Also, to give us the understanding on how external states got involved and reasons why these states supported these two parties and the strategies involved.
Finally, this study will make us to know if the involvement of Great powers has an impact in Nigeria. I hope it will be a source of reference to other researchers in similar area.
1.8 SCOPE OF STUDY
This study focuses on the interests of foreign states, the strategies and linkage to such war and focuses on the Nigerian civil war (1967-1970) to enable accurate and careful examination of the study.
1.9 LIMITATION OF STUDY
There is the challenge of accessibility to the living actors who engaged in the war subsequently the external powers that were involved during the war. This is because I was not born during this period and everyone involved will want to write on how they feel in which some can be biased about it.
1.10 ORGANIZATION OF STUDY
This research is divided into five chapters: chapter one focuses on the background of the study, statement of problem, objectives of study, research question, research hypothesis, methodology , significance of study, scope of study, will serve as

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