ARTISANAL WEAPON PROJECTS IN BIAFRA DURING THE NIGERIA- BIAFRA WAR, 1967-1970

Abstract

The Nigeria-Biafra War which lasted for 30 months from July 1967-January 1970 witnessed tremendous efforts in the areas of local production of weapons and allied projects by the defunct secessionist Republic of Biafra. Previous writers on weapon and allied projects in Biafra during the war gave so much praise and credit to the scientists and technologists of the Research and Armaments Production (RAP) of Biafra for their enormous contributions to the war efforts of the Republic of Biafra. However, not much has been said or written about the role of the uneducated artisans such as blacksmiths and technologists in developing the celebrated inventions of the Biafra’s during the Nigeria-Biafra War. Crucial to this study is the important role played by the blacksmiths and other artisans in Biafra's scientific and technological innovations during the Nigeria-Biafra War. The paper attempts to unravel the emergence as well as role of artisans in the weapon and allied projects of the defunct secessionist Republic of Biafra during the Nigeria-Biafra War (1967-1970). The paper adopts the historical analysis method and data was obtained from both primary and secondary sources. The paper concludes that apart from the celebrated efforts of the educated scientists and technologists that constituted the driving force of the Research and Armaments Production of Biafra, artisans, particularly blacksmiths and technicians also made remarkable contributions in developing the weapon and allied projects in Biafra during the Nigeria-Biafra War.