TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY AND SELF-DETERMINATION UNDER THE UNITED NATIONS CHARTER: THE RENEWED BIAFRA SECESSIONIST CLAIM IN NIGERIA

Abstract

The tension between territorial integrity and the right to self-determination remainsone of the most contested issues in international law, particularly in post-colonial states confrontingrenewed separatist movements. Yet, while international legal scholarship largely emphasizes theprimacy of territorial integrity under the United Nations Charter, less attention has been paid to howdomestic political grievances sustain secessionist mobilization even when legal claims lackinternational validity. This study examines this dilemma through the resurgence of the Biafrasecessionist claim in Nigeria. Drawing on Relative Deprivation Theory, the study explains howperceived political, economic, and representational marginalization can generate collectivegrievances that sustain separatist agitation. Using qualitative documentary analysis, the researchinterrogates whether the Indigenous People of Biafra’s (IPOB) demands align with internationalnorms of self-determination, the socio-political drivers of the renewed secessionist agenda, and theimplications for national stability. The findings indicate that, although international law stronglyprotects Nigeria’s territorial integrity and does not legitimize unilateral secession, persistentperceptions of marginalization among sections of the Igbo population contribute to a continuinginternal self-determination deficit. The study, therefore, argues that legal prohibition alone cannotextinguish secessionist claims when governance grievances remain unresolved, highlighting theneed for inclusive governance, constitutional dialogue, and rights-based federal reforms.